CROSS BEARS MILLS' OFFENSIVE OUTPUT

Top-ranked Mills did not have the best beginning Friday night, but the Comets' start was much better than what Little Rock McClellan could muster. Junior forward Kevin Cross scored 14 of his 15 points in the first 12 minutes as Mills cruised to a 75-43 victory over McClellan in a 6A/5A-5 Conference game at the Lions' Den. Mills (13-2, 3-0) was limited to four points in the first four minutes, but the reserves put a spark into Comets' offense. "We started a little sloppy," Mills Coach Raymond Cooper said. "We played well for a stretch and then we went brain-dead for a stretch. ... McClellan does that. They play really hard and they cause a lot of turnovers." McClellan (5-11, 0-2) scored only five points in the first quarter, with all of its points coming from the free-throw line. The Lions were 0 of 9 from the floor in the first eight minutes, and they did not get their first field goal until sophomore Eric Woods drained a 22-footer with 6:35 left in the first half. "That's been par for the course all season for us," McClellan Coach Chris Threatt said. "We've struggled to score but tonight I'm attributing it to Mills. Even on nights when our defense has played well, and it wasn't tonight, we haven't been able to score." Junior guard Branton McCrary led the Comets with 16 points while collecting 5 steals and 5 assists. Grehlon Easter joined Cross with 15 points, and junior guard Orion Virden hit 3 three-pointers on his way to a 13-point evening. McClellan junior Ian Robinson led his team with 19 points. MILLS (75) McCrary 6 3-5 16, Easter 5 5-6 15, Virden 4 2-3 13, Cross 6 3-4 15, Wright 0 2-3 2, Ford 1 0-0 2, Green 1 0-0 2, Clark 0 0-0 0, Shelton 2 1-2 5, K. Jones 2 0-1 5, Smith 0 0-2 0. Totals 27 16-26 75. McCLELLAN (43) Cohns 2 4-4 8, Woods 1 0-0 3, Cummings 0 0-0 0, Robinson 6 7-9 19, Cunningham 1 0-0 2, Doakes 0 0-0 0, Rodgers 0 0-0 0, Rideout 0 2-2 2, Spivey 1 0-1 2, Sheard 0 3-4 3, Green 1 0-0 2, White 0 2-2 2, Edmundson 0 0-1 0. Totals 12 18-23 43. Mills (13-2) 17 27 18 13 -- 75 McClellan (5-11) 5 19 8 11 -- 43 Three-point goals -- Mills 5 (Virden 3, McCrary, K. Jones). McClellan 1 (Woods). Team fouls -- Mills 21, McClellan 28. Fouled out -- Woods.

Little Rock School District Athletics

CROSS BEARS MILLS' OFFENSIVE OUTPUT

Photo Credit: McClellan Magnet High School Athletics