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After one quarter of play, the McDonald County Mustangs had to feel good about themselves. They were facing a physically imposing Sunrise Christian Academy squad that features seven players who stand 6-feet-7 or taller and after one quarter, the score was just 15-11 in favor of the Buffaloes.
But in the second quarter, Sunrise stomped on the accelerator and cruised to a 65-44 victory in the opening round of the Neosho Holiday Classic Tuesday.
The Buffaloes got a game-high 21 points from senior guard Buddy Hield, an Oklahoma University commit, and 17 from Janari Joesaar in the victory.
McDonald County was led by an inspired performance from Miguel Morales.
The Mustangs’ senior guard looked eager to step up to such a tall — literally — challenge and he ended up with 18 points.
“I thought our kids competed really hard,” McDonald County coach Trent Barratt said. “We came out and executed on offense and defense in the first half. That kept us in the game and gave us a chance there for a while. In the second half, it just kind of got away from us.”
From the opening tip, Morales made an effort to go right at his defender. On the Mustangs’ first possession, the 5-foot-10 Morales took the ball at the top of the key and drove into the paint and hit a contested jumper, bringing the McDonald County crowd to its feet.
“Miguel is a good player,” Barratt said. “He is a point guard who can create his own shot, create for other players on the team and he’s got a high motor. He is a kid with great ball skills and he’s a pretty good shooter.”
For McDonald County, the focus now turns to their second round opponent, Rogers-Heritage, a team that has beaten the Mustangs once already this season. That game will tip off at 10:30 a.m. today.
“I think we need to be more focused on running our stuff on offense,” Barratt said.
Other scorers for McDonald County were: Jordan Wells 10, Tyler Lett 5, Jake Wood 5, Chance Buttram 2 and Drey Fickle 2.
Sunrise will take on Parkview in the winner’s bracket this evening in the 7 p.m. game.
After one quarter of play, the McDonald County Mustangs had to feel good about themselves. They were facing a physically imposing Sunrise Christian Academy squad that features seven players who stand 6-feet-7 or taller and after one quarter, the score was just 15-11 in favor of the Buffaloes.
But in the second quarter, Sunrise stomped on the accelerator and cruised to a 65-44 victory in the opening round of the Neosho Holiday Classic Tuesday.
The Buffaloes got a game-high 21 points from senior guard Buddy Hield, an Oklahoma University commit, and 17 from Janari Joesaar in the victory.
McDonald County was led by an inspired performance from Miguel Morales.
The Mustangs’ senior guard looked eager to step up to such a tall — literally — challenge and he ended up with 18 points.
“I thought our kids competed really hard,” McDonald County coach Trent Barratt said. “We came out and executed on offense and defense in the first half. That kept us in the game and gave us a chance there for a while. In the second half, it just kind of got away from us.”
From the opening tip, Morales made an effort to go right at his defender. On the Mustangs’ first possession, the 5-foot-10 Morales took the ball at the top of the key and drove into the paint and hit a contested jumper, bringing the McDonald County crowd to its feet.
“Miguel is a good player,” Barratt said. “He is a point guard who can create his own shot, create for other players on the team and he’s got a high motor. He is a kid with great ball skills and he’s a pretty good shooter.”
For McDonald County, the focus now turns to their second round opponent, Rogers-Heritage, a team that has beaten the Mustangs once already this season. That game will tip off at 10:30 a.m. today.
“I think we need to be more focused on running our stuff on offense,” Barratt said.
Other scorers for McDonald County were: Jordan Wells 10, Tyler Lett 5, Jake Wood 5, Chance Buttram 2 and Drey Fickle 2.
Sunrise will take on Parkview in the winner’s bracket this evening in the 7 p.m. game.
