Basketball Recap: Make It 26 in a Row for Needles

Mustangs

Previous Games

01/31/25 @ Awaken Christian	61-42
01/28/25 @ GV Christian	87-58
01/23/25 vs Mohave Accelerated	85-63
01/21/25 @ Adelson	90-25
01/18/25 vs Lincoln County	73-55
+ 21 more games

Needles put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They strolled past the Awaken Christian Lions with points to spare, taking the game 61-42. The 61-point effort marked the Mustangs' lowest-scoring matchup of the season, but in the end it didn't matter.

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Needles to victory, but perhaps none more so than Darrell Russell, who dropped a double-double on 20 points and 12 rebounds. What's more, Russell also racked up three blocks, the most he's had since back in December of 2024. Luca Walema was another key player, going 7 of 16 on his way to 18 points in addition to seven boards and three blocks.

Needles smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in nine consecutive games.

Needles pushed their record up to 24-0 with the win, which was their tenth straight on the road. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 35.3 points. As for Awaken Christian, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost seven of their last eight contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-9 record this season.

Needles will be playing in front of their home fans against Founders Classical Academy at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Needles knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past 24 matches -- so hopefully Founders Classical Academy likes a good challenge. As for Awaken Christian, a feisty cat fight is on tap when the Awaken Christian Lions duke it out with the Laughlin Cougars at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. That game will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Kobe Phillips and Gavin Kepler.