The Mexico boys’ home game on Dec. 17 was important for several reasons.

Mexico vs Kirksville Photo Gallery

The first Class 4 state poll was released the day before with that night’s opponent Kirksville being ranked seventh while Mexico was outside the top 10 but received votes. The Tigers are also a North Central Missouri Conference and district rival and couldn’t keep up with Mexico in the second half as it won 55-38.

The Bulldogs (4-3, 2-0 NCMC) outscored Kirksville 34-17 in the second half following a first half that was even at 21 but with Kirksville momentum on a game-tying 3-pointer by Cole Kelly. Head coach Darren Pappas said Mexico displayed familiar characteristics in the second half of picking up defensive stops and points in transition, but more importantly, didn’t stall on offense. 

"We put pressure on the glass and on the rim by attacking the paint," Pappas said. "I thought that was the difference. We were doing a better job of attacking the glass and not just settling for threes."

Mexico did draw fouls on Kirksville (4-1, 0-1 NCMC) for three 3-point plays in the first half but then picked up four more in the second half. PJ Perkins was fouled while scoring three times on the way to a game-high 19 points along with eight rebounds and three dunks.

The three dunks are a career-high, Perkins said, as each one happened when Mexico was following up on a turnover and Perkins was able to run past the Tigers in transition. 

“Trying to get four,” Perkins said with a grin after the victory. “I feel like, every time I get a dunk, it brings a lot of energy to my team. After the first dunk, it turned our team around and we were ready to play.”

Perkins said Mexico was ready to play in the second half after not pushing the ball as much in the first half. Bulldog basketball involves defense and transition buckets so Perkins was glad the team resembled that better after halftime.

"At halftime, in the locker room with coach Pap (head coach Darren Pappas) and coach Bosco (coach Dion Nunnelly), we all talked about how this is not how we usually play," Perkins said. "In the second half, we were going to turn it up and show them how Mexico basketball really does play."

Pappas said Mexico’s shooters will be better as the season goes on and believes the offense the team started working on two days prior will improve. The Bulldogs, understandably, weren’t putting it into practice well yet.

“We’ve put in a little more of a continuity-type offense,” Pappas said. “When you put in new things, it’s going to take a little bit of time to evolve. Only spreading two days on it prior to tonight, it’s going to take a little bit of time. I thought the guys did a good job of trying to move the basketball and trying to find open guys.”

Pappas described the Bulldogs as “unselfish” against Kirksville and made the shots when they were needed most in the second half. Charlie Fisher finished with 11 points, and Jaydon Eldridge had nine points. 

Defensively, Pappas said Mexico closed out on Kirksville’s shooter better in the second half and limited the Tigers’ open looks. Kirksville finished with four 3-pointers, and Cole Kelly led with nine points and nine rebounds and Tyler White followed with eight points.

“They can all shoot it, and they’ll spread you out,” Pappas said. “You’ve got to be able to close out on their shooters. They do a good job of spreading out and attacking. They run really good stuff where they’ll overload one side and that back side will be wide open. Obviously, they have shooters, so if they do drive and they can kick it out and find the open man. If they’re on, they’re really on.”

Pappas said Perkins did well “losing his man” on offense and then used his greater speed to “finish off the glass, around the rim or above the rim.” He said Mexico could use that out of Perkins consistently when the perimeter shots start to fall in the future.

At 6-foot-3, Perkins knew he was taller than the 6-foot-2 Kelly and 6-foot-1 White while being faster. He knew he should match up well with the Tigers and felt the same way about the 6-foot-5 Holden Aulbur, who finished with eight rebounds. 

Perkins believes they made a statement with the victory over Kirksville, who tied for the seventh ranking along with Clayton.

“Our team knew that rankings really don’t matter, but that ranking was not true,” Perkins said. “We came out and showed them what the real rankings are going to be.”

Pappas especially liked how the Kirksville win will affect conference and district standings later, but Mexico needs to be prepared for the future games like that.

"I don't feel like we're totally there yet, but I like the way we're headed," Pappas said. "It was a big one tonight with a conference and district foe as well so we needed to make sure we definitely got this one. "

Mexico 74 Hannibal 40

Mexico remained undefeated in conference Thursday night.

The Bulldogs won 74-40 at Hannibal (1-7, 0-3 NCMC) after Kaden Benne scored a career-high 25 points, hitting three of a season-high 10 3-pointers for the Bulldogs (5-3, 3-0 NCMC), and finished with 10 rebounds — seven offensive. Sam Ryan followed with 13 points, and PJ Perkins had 11 points. 

Mexico plays at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Missouri S&T against Class 6 Waynesville (2-2) in the first round of the Rolla Boys Holiday Tournament. The Bulldogs will then play to be determined opponents on Friday and Saturday.