Jaydon Eldridge and the Mexico boys defeated Kirkville in a blink earlier this season.

Mexico vs Kirksville Photo Gallery

Eldridge’s 3-pointer at the buzzer helped the Class 4 No. 8 Bulldogs (according to the latest poll released this week) stun their North Central Missouri Conference and district rival in Kirksville earlier this season to win 62-61, but Friday’s Bulldogs on Gary Filbert Court stunned the Tigers early on. Mexico widened its lead to as big as 18 points in the first half and then 22 in the second half to win a decisive 69-41 contest.

After Kirksville (8-5, 2-2 NCMC) went 10-for-30 on 3-pointers in the first meeting, Mexico (15-2, 5-0 NCMC) drastically cut down the activity on the perimeter by allowing the Tigers to hit only three 3-pointers while outrebounding them 37-12. Head coach Darren Pappas said there are many shooters to account for when playing Kirksville, including its center Justin McKim, who led the Tigers with 11 points but didn’t have a 3-pointer.

“We were just trying to run them off the 3-point line as much as possible, contest all shots and make them take tough shots,” Pappas said. “When they did penetrate the paint, we tried to keep them off the glass. Our guys did a really good job of holding them to one shot and out.”

The previous two meetings with Kirksville made hearts race as Mexico edged out the Tigers earlier this season but fell just short in districts last season 66-62. Cole Kelly has been a focus every time the Bulldogs have defended Kirksville, but Pappas liked how he was limited this time to five points and one 3-pointer. Gavin Pike only had eight points and no 3-pointers for the Tigers.

On the other hand, DJ Long couldn’t be stopped by Kirksville as he finished with a game-high 21 points and six assists. Mexico hadn’t played for two weeks since its game two weeks ago against another district opponent Centralia, but Long said the Bulldogs remained sharp because of work in the gym over the break. This helped them achieve a statement victory.

“We haven’t played so we were very hungry,” Long said. “Plus, it was a conference game so we just wanted to get out there. We felt like it shouldn’t have been that close last time, so we wanted to make a statement in this game.”

Long said positioning defenders close to Kirksville shooters that they had no choice but to be pushed back was key. Oftentimes, the Tigers would drive toward the paint when nothing was available outside and throw up a contested shot that would be swallowed up by the Bulldogs.

PJ Perkins has been Mexico’s strongest rebounder and led the Bulldogs again with eight rebounds to go with his 10 points. He received some support on the glass as Jaydon Eldridge pulled down seven rebounds to go with 18 points and four 3-pointers, and Kaden Benne had six rebounds to go with 10 points and two 3-pointers. Pappas said Donye Nunnelly also had some tough rebounds and was one of many to answer the coaching staff’s challenge.

"That's what we need," Pappas said. "We need guys to hit the glass and help PJ out. He draws so much attention that sometimes, he gets two defenders on him trying to block him out."

Pappas expects the Bulldogs to be competitive on the glass, but he admits they delve into the unexpected sometime. For example, they tipped a few balls out to teammates to make sure Mexico secured the rebound and kept Kirksville to below 10 boards at halftime.

“That’s just them,” Pappas said with a smile. “We don’t teach that, obviously. It was working tonight. I don’t want to see them do it all the time because sometimes it doesn’t go our way.”

The Bulldogs always try to set up each other for opportunities, whether it be off the glass or scoring from the field. The point guard Long played the role of floor general well, Pappas said, as he seemed to be in control whenever the ball was in hands.

“He played a complete game,” Pappas said. “He got to the rim, he found guys, he had a midrange jumper tonight, he hit some 3s and he kind of did it all. That’s what we need from our senior point guard. I kept going to him and asking him, ‘What do you see?’ He was starting to see some things the defense was doing against us. Him and I were working together and trying to figure out a good plan of how we could pick that apart.”

Long found Eldridge three or four times for open 3-pointers, Benne added two from deep, and Long even created some space with his ball handling and some screens to knock down two 3-pointers.

“I know where my shooters are at all times,” Long said. “I just make sure to get those guys the ball.”

Mexico has plenty of games left in its regular season schedule, including five conference games. The Bulldogs are undefeated in conference so far and are 2-0 against district opponents. Pappas said they need to remain focused to keep that success going.

“It’s never easy in our conference,” Pappas said. “It’s a very tough conference. You’ve got good coaches, and they’ve got good plans. Obviously, this one meant a lot. We just got to continue to take it one game at a time.”

Mexico hosts district foe Macon (2-10) at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.