By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports Editor

ADVANCE - The Bernie Mules and Advance Hornets faced off in a SCAA showdown on Thursday night. The Hornets took control of the game early, and held off a late offensive surge from the Mules to take a 65-56 victory.

Advance held a 14-8 lead after the opening frame, and opened up an even bigger lead in the second quarter thanks to threes from Tyler Middleton and Hunter Wilson. A late run from the Mules brought the score to 32-21 at the half.

Troy Kirkpatrick buried a pair of threes late in the third quarter, paired with a better defensive effort to open the second half, helped the Mules keep the game within reach after the third quarter.

Ethan Barr dominated the glass for Advance throughout the second half, and he took control of the game in the fourth quarter; the junior post dropped in nine of his 21 points in the closing frame to seal a 65-56 Hornet victory.

“Hats off to Advance tonight. They really came out with a lot of energy and aggressiveness, and we got behind and couldn’t make it up,” Bernie head coach Brad Botsch said. “They really outplayed us from a physicality standpoint and we really struggled to score against them.”

“Our kids really fought and battled in the 2nd half. I rarely feel good after a loss, but I really think our kids came together tonight. I saw more competitiveness, leadership, and desire in the 2nd half than we’ve had all year,” Botsch added. “If a few more of our shots fall, this game could have ended differently. We really put forth great effort and showed guts in the 2nd half, and we’re going to build off of that.” Barr paced the Hornets with 21 points, while Lane Below added 16. The Mules were led by David Baker, with 18 points. Matt Eaves finished just off the mark with 17 points.

The Mules will be in action again on Friday, Jan. 13, when they face off against the Dexter Bearcats. Tipoff is set for 6:00 p.m. at the BEC.