The Dillon Wildcats overcame a first quarter slump on Monday night to claim a 69-59 win over Mullins in the second round of the Class 2A boys basketball lower state tournament.

Mullins took control of the ball at the tip off and scored two points right away, pulling ahead by six. Dillon’s Shaqui Cabbagestalk sank a three-pointer to put the Wildcats down 6-3, but Jalek Felton scored a three-pointer for the Auctioneers, and Mullins followed up with two more to lead 11-3. Dillon answered with a two-pointer, and Cabbagestalk sank a foul shot after being fouled by the Aucs’ Kameron Graham. The Auctioneers sank another three-pointer and with 2:40 left in the quarter, Mullins led 16-6. Dillon’s Maurice Williams fouled Felton, who sank one free throw, and the Aucs’ Earnell Leggett scored two to put Mullins ahead 19-6.

Dillon’s Olajuwan Fenton sank a two-pointer and picked up a rebound from Cabbagestalk to add two more to leave Dillon behind 19-10. Cabbagestalk followed up with a lay up to make the score 19-12 at the end of the first.

Mullins improved their lead to 21-13 at the beginning of the second, but Dillon went on a scoring run with Cabbagestalk sinking two, Jalik Bethea hitting a three-pointer, and Cabbagestalk scoring three to tie the game 21-21. Alex Brown scored two for Mullins, but Dillon’s Jaquan Knowlin laid in two to keep things tied at 23-23. Bethea fouled the Aucs’ Dmitri Reaves, allowing the Auctioneers to pull ahead 25-23 with two free throws, but Fenton answered with another two to tie things once again.

Dillon took their first lead of the game when Brown scored two for Mullins and Dillon’s Breon Page hit a three-pointer to pull ahead 28-27. Gerome McLeod sank another three to put Dillon up 31-27, but with moments left in the half, Paul Stackhouse scored two for Mullins to leave them trailing by two at 31-29.

The Auctioneers kicked off the third with a two-pointer from Brown to tie things 31-31, but Cabbagestalk sank a three-pointer to regain the lead. Brown struck again to leave the Auctioneers trailing 34-33, but Bethea sank another three allowing Dillon to pull ahead. With four minute left in the quarter, Mullins scored two and Graham followed up with two more to tie the game once more at 37 each. Dillon’s Anthony Blue scored two for a 39-37 lead, but Mullins sank a three-pointer to briefly regain the lead at 40-39.

Graham fouled Page, allowing the Wildcats to sink one free throw to knot the game at 40, and moments later Williams fouled the Aucs’ Royal Pernell, who sank one free throw to put the Aucs up 41-40. The Auctioneers missed on another free show after a violation by Dillon with four seconds left in the period. As time expired, Dillon’s Page sank a two-pointer to end the third with Dillon ahead 42-41.

The tug of war continued at the start of the final quarter as Pernell sank a two-pointer and Page sank a free throw to tie things at 43. Brown struck again with at two-pointer to Mullins ahead, but Dillon’s Blue was fouled by the Aucs’ Darren Ceo and sank both free throws to maintain the tie at 45 each. Page sank another two-pointer, but Mullins answered with two of their own. Pernell fouled Blue, and Blue sank both free throws to put the Wildcats ahead, but Felton scored three for Mullins to take a 50-49 lead. Cabbagestalk laid in two for Dillon, followed by two from Reaves, and another two from Cabbagestalk, the lead changing hands each time.

With 3:57 left in the game, Dillon as ahead 53-52. Dillon’s Gabriel Salmon sank two and the Wildcats followed up with four more points to lead 59-52. With 1:07 remaining, Mullins took a time out, but when play resumed, the Wildcats went up 61-52.

In the last four and a half minutes, Dillon would outscore Mullins 18-7 for a 27-18 fourth quarter, giving the Wildcats the playoff win, with Cabbagestalk, Bethea, and Page combining for 21 of Dillon’s points in the final quarter. The Wildcats hit 15 of 16 free throw attempts in the fourth.
Shaqui Cabbagestalk led Dillon with a team-high 18 points, followed by Jalik Bethea with 17 and Breon Page with 15. Anthony Blue scored six, Olajuwan Fenton added four, Gerome McLeod earned three, and Gabriel Salmon, Maurice Williams, and Jaquan Knowlin each contributed two points in the win.

Alex Brown scored a game-high 25 points to lead Mullins and Jalek Felton added 13. Royal Pernell scored seven, and Dmitri Reaves and Kameron Graham each added six for the Auctioneers.

Mullins finishes the season with a 14-7 record while the Wildcats improve to 18-7 as they continue on in the playoffs. Dillon is looking for its first trip to the lower state championship game since 2006, when the Wildcats advanced all the way to the state championship.

Dillon was scheduled to travel to Lake Marion on Wednesday night to take on the Gators. Lake Marion earned a 52-50 win over Marion on Monday night as Lake Marion’s Mike Williams hit two free throws with 2.3 seconds left in the game. The Gators improved to 22-1 this season.

The winner of Wednesday’s game will advance to the lower state championship game on Saturday, February 23, at 3:30 p.m. to face either Silver Bluff or Wade Hampton. Be sure to pick up next Tuesday’s issue of THE DILLON HERALD to read more about Dillon’s game against Lake Marion!

Photos by Johnnie Daniels/THE DILLON HERALD. Click images below to view at full size!