Mules down Izard County, will face Vashon for Showdown title

Poplar Bluff's Brendan Durden (30) looks for an open man to pass to as he is guarded by Izard County defenders during Friday's first semifinal at the Poplar Bluff Showdown at Mules Gymnasium.

DAR/Jonathan Dawe

The Poplar Bluff Mules are moving on to the championship game of the 37th annual Poplar Bluff Basketball Showdown.

In front of a roaring home crowd at Mules Gymnasium, the Mules advanced to Showdown finals with a hard-fought 50-43 victory Friday night over the Izard County Cougars of northern Arkansas.

It was a game of momentum swings, but ultimately the Mules’ grit and determination proved too much for the Cougars.

Poplar Bluff (6-3) came out of the gate on fire, building a nine-point lead at the very start of the first quarter thanks to some hot shooting from junior Dallas Williams, who finished the night with 17 points.

At halftime, the Mules clung to a slim 27-26 lead.

Poplar Bluff coach William Durden acknowledged his team started off at an aggressive pace, but said the Cougars played as hard as he expected.

“They’re a really good program, and they’ve got some good players,” Durden remarked. “We weren’t expecting an easy game at all.”

And the Cougars didn't go away quietly. They clawed their way back in the third period, with multiple players applying pressure at all times at the interior and outside the paint. By the end of the third quarter, the Cougars had snatched the lead, leaving the Mules trailing 36-34.

“We got down in the third quarter and could have folded,” Durden said. “But this team is made up of a bunch of grinders and we knew it would be a tough game. We knew that none of the wins here would be easy. Nothing is guaranteed. We have to earn everything we get.”

And grind they did.

The Mules dug deep in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Cougars 16-7 to secure the victory.

“Dallas did a good job shooting early, which gave us that initial boost,” Durden said. “But it was our defense down the stretch that really sealed the deal along with some good hustle from everybody.”

The Mules will face Vashon in the Showdown championship game at 3:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon. Saturday's championship game is also a rematch 2005 Class 5 state championship game, when the Mules shocked the nation by beating Vashon to repeat as state champions.

Notes: Vashon punched its ticket to the Showdown championship game by defeating Kansas City Staley 61-50 in the late game Friday. ... In consolation action Friday, Maumelle, Arkansas defeated Trinity Christian of Jackson, Tennessee 74-65, while McCracken County, Kentucky downed Urbana, Illinois 50-35. ... Urbana and Trinity Christian will play for seventh place at 11 a.m. Saturday, while McCracken County and Maumelle will face off for fifth at 12:30 p.m. Izard County and Staley will play for third at 2 p.m.