The number of baskets a team makes in a game matters. But the timing of those scores can be just as important.

Case in point Mexico’s 69-43 district semifinal win over Hannibal on Tuesday at The Sports Complex. With the Bulldogs struggling on offense early, Jordan Mitchell lobbed a right hander from four feet out that rolled around the rim before dropping into the net.

The shot sparked a 10-2 outburst that gave Mexico a 25-9 cushion in the second quarter.

Later in the second, Isaiah Reams fired a cross court bullet to Michael White, who turned it into a three. What followed was a brief 7-2 flurry, making it 32-12.

“We try to get up so it’s hard for other teams to come back,” Mitchell explained.

Coach Darren Pappas calls it doing enough to win – not the team’s goal, but a handy baseline to start from. So on a night when the offense sputters, it’s up to defense and timely baskets.

The combination on Tuesday made it difficult for Hannibal to rally.

Early in the second half, for example, the Pirates managed an 8-2 run, thanks to a pair of threes from Courtland Watson. But in stepped Daeye Miller, first with a simple lay in and then a flying dunk to cap a fast break.

“I just know going up, even if I miss it will fire the crowd up and that will fire us up,” Miller explained.

He didn’t miss and momentum swung again in Mexico’s favor. White followed with a put back. Drew Blevins converted an inside dish from Raef Yager, who seemed to be everywhere. And then it was Miller and White again for a 53-28 lead at the end of three.

The Bulldogs’ 21 point third quarter effectively finished off the visitors, even though Hannibal was able to keep pace through much of the second half.

But each time the Pirates’ Haden Robertson hit a jumper or Brendan Hess banged one off the glass, Mitchell responded with a baseline drive or Miller found space under the rim.

Miller tallied 16 points on the night, the leader of four Bulldogs in double digits. Reams added 13, Blevins 11 and Yager 10.

Not far behind in the scorebook were Mitchell with 8 and White, who knocked down 7. Ty Prince and Dominic McKeown tacked on 2 each.

“It got a little sloppy,” Yager said. “Coach told us to calm down. It wasn’t our best game, but it wasn’t our worst game.”

It was just enough for the Bulldogs to advance to the district finals, which played out on Friday evening after the Ledger’s deadline.