The Windsor Wizards did plenty of things well Friday night at the Denver Coliseum, but in the end, they simply couldn’t keep up with the Joneses.
That would be Mullen’s dynamic sister duo — sophomore guard Mackenzie Jones and senior center Tatum — who led the No. 6 Mustangs to a 53-43 win over third-seeded Windsor in the Class 5A quarterfinals.
Mackenzie, who made two key driving layups to take charge while her older sister was on the bench with four fouls, scored 15 points on 7-of-14 shooting, grabbed four rebounds and blocked two shots. Tatum scored 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting and dished out three assists.
Mullen (17-9) advanced to the Final Four and will play No. 2 Mead (23-2) in next week’s semifinals at the Coliseum. The Mustangs are chasing their first state title since beating Windsor in the Class 4A championship game in 2022.
“This feels really good,” Mackenzie said. “We feel like we have a lot of unfinished business. Last year we lost in the Great 8 (to Cherokee Trail in Class 6A). It’s just really great to come out here and win after all of our hard work this season.”
The Mustangs’ family hoops affair includes Mackenzie and Tatum, their mom, Tonia Jones, the head coach, and their older sister, Samantha, an assistant coach.
Mullen led most of the game but could not pull away until outscoring the Wizards, 17-12, in the third quarter. The Wizards like to run and shoot but the Mustangs controlled the tempo in the second half.
“We have worked on that since the beginning (of the season),” Mackenzie said. “We focused on setting our tempo. We slowed things down and played our game.”
Paced by Jones’ 11 points, Mullen led 20-19 at halftime. Windsor sophomore guard/forward Gracie Worsley, displaying a sweet jump shot, led her team with 10 points. But Mullen puts the clamps on Worsley in the second half, limiting her to just two points.
Mullen appeared ready to pull away early in the third quarter when Tatum Jones scored two baskets in the paint to give the Mustangs a 26-21 lead. But Windsor refused to go away — at least for a while — and when Gabby Gates turned a driving layup into a 3-point play, the Wizards cut the lead to 26-24 with 4:43 left in the quarter.
Mullen took a hit with 1:10 left in the third when Tatum Jones was called for her fourth foul with the Mustangs holding a 32-29 lead. But the basketball gods smiled on Mullen at the end of the quarter when Keaton Arangua-Egbert banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Mullen a 37-31 lead.
From that point on, the Mustangs were in control.
“We have a good way of adapting in a game,” Mackenzie said. “That is one of our IQ things.”
Junior guard Chloe Pelster scored 10 points for the Mustangs and Arangua-Egbert added nine.
Senior Reyleigh Hess, playing her final game, scored 14 points to lead the Wizards, who finished their season 21-5.
