Chris Chestnut
The Wildcats took a 17-14 lead in the first quarter as Jalik Bethea hit three three-pointers. But Mullins outscored Dillon 26-15 in the second for a 40-32 lead at the half and kept control for the rest of the game. Both teams added 17 points in the third quarter, and Mullins out paced Dillon 21-14 in the fourth to earn the 78-63 win.
Jalik Bethea led Dillon in the effort with a team-high 30 points including five three-pointers and Jaquan Knowlin added 13. Avery McCall scored seven, Julius Saunders added six, and Gabe Salmon, Jr., scored five, with Tyreik McAllister adding two.
Mullins was led by Jalek Felton with a career-high 36 points. Felton also grabbed 10 rebounds and sank 15 of 16 free throw attempts. Alex Brown earned 12 points for Mullins, including a 360 dunk in the fourth quarter, and grabbed 14 rebounds. Paul Stackhouse scored 11 and Malik McGill added 10 with 10 rebounds. Nizohn Powell earned five, Will Ford added three, and Arthur March contributed one point in the win.
Mullins improved to 14-6 overall and remained undefeated in Region 8-2A, while Dillon slipped to 14-5 with a 3-3 record in region play. Mullins now leads the region, with Marion in second place.
Mullins also advanced in the latest South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association polls. The Auctioneers were ranked fourth in the state in Class 2A, with Lake Marion, Keenan, and Indian Land taking the top three spots. Newberry, Kingstree, Edisto, Fairfield Central, Ridgeland-Hardeeville, and Lake City filled out the rest of the list.
The Wildcats will spend the rest of the regular season on the road, traveling to Marion on Friday at 6:00 p.m. and Aynor on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. Dillon will be at Loris on Monday, February 10, and the Wildcats will wrap up the regular season at Waccamaw on Wednesday, February 12. The Class 2A boys basketball playoffs will begin on Wednesday, February 19.
Photos by Johnnie Daniels/THE DILLON HERALD. Click the images below to view at full size!
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