Key road trip for Mules

Stuck in a five-game losing streak, the Poplar Bluff Mules are getting out of town, but not going on a vacation.

The Mules start a three-day tournament today in Springfield, facing Shawnee Mission (Kan.) East in a 4 p.m. tipoff.

"It's going to be a time for us to build together," Mules coach Lamont Frazier said following a 69-64 loss Tuesday to Jackson. "There's not going to be a lot of down time -- do our work and bond as a team.

"That's something you don't really get to do at home."

When Poplar Bluff won its first state title under coach John David Pattillo, it wasn't until after a trip to Springfield for a three-day tournament that the Mules started clicking.

Having not won a game in 2008, this may be the best time to do just that.

The five-point loss to Jackson may have surprised some -- "Tonight was the team that a lot of people expected to see out of Poplar Bluff," Jackson coach Darrin Scott said. -- but to Frazier, he saw the same Mules team which has been streaky and has had trouble guarding.

Jake Leet scored 32 for Jackson, Kenny Johnson scored 29 for Twin Rivers and Doniphan's Charles Wilson had 20. In fact, during their five-game skid, the Mules have had one opposing player score 19 or more points in each game.

The Mules are giving up 62.4 points per game this season with their man-to-man defense and are 0-9 in games in which they gave up 59 or more points.

So why not try more zone defenses?

"If you can't cover areas in man-to-man, you can't cover areas in zones," Fraizer said.

He added, "There's time you can play a zone, but if you don't have man-to-man principals, you don't understand the fundamentals of man-to-man, you can't do anything else."

While the Mules have still struggled on the defensive end, it seems they may have turned a corner offensively. After scoring a season-low 34 points at Doniphan, the Mules have scored 70 and 64 points.

There hasn't been a change in offensive schemes, Frazier said, the Mules are just getting into their offense quicker off the break.

"When you just walk down and try to go through the motions, then there's problems," Frazier said. "Except for a couple of times (Tuesday), we didn't do anything that we hadn't practiced all year long."

The Mules had four players reach double figures in the same game for the first time this season Tuesday night.

"In order to be a good basketball team, that's what you've got to have," Frazier said. "You can't have one guy in double figures and two guys with seven or eight."

Jay Raulston is the only Mule averaging double figures at 16.7 points a game to go with 9.3 rebounds. The sophomore has started on the bench the last four games to keep him out of early foul trouble.

"Jay is a very good offensive player, we have to make sure he's around at critical time in the game to be an effective player.

"That's going to come in time, he's going to be better."

Three games in three days can only help get the Mules ready for a stretch run that begins a week from Friday against Cape Central. Poplar Bluff still has to play New Madrid, Sikeston, Caruthersville, Notre Dame, Kennett and Charleston.

The Mules play either Beaumont of St. Louis or Leavenworth, Kan. in the second round Friday. Winners play at 12:30 p.m. while the losers play at 11 a.m. The final day is Saturday and other teams include Glendale, Wyandotte, Shawnee Mission (Kan.) West and Warrensburg.