Preview: Crystal City Javelinas vs. Natalia Mustangs
Crystal City is 6-0 against Natalia since November of 2014, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Crystal City Javelinas will head out on the road to face off against the Natalia Mustangs at 6:30 p.m. Given that both teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this contest.
Crystal City suffered their biggest loss since December 15, 2023 on Friday. They were outmatched by Lytle on the road and fell 62-35. While losing is never fun, Crystal City can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Texas basketball rankings (they are ranked 911th, while Lytle is ranked 357th).
Meanwhile, Natalia was the victim of a tough 68-44 defeat at the hands of Lytle on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss Natalia has suffered against Lytle since January 19, 2021.
Despite the defeat, Natalia had strong showings from Yahdi Lujan, who scored 22 points, and Anaya Jones, who scored 19 points along with nine rebounds and four blocks. That was a full 50% of Natalia's points, marking the third time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points.
Crystal City's defeat dropped their record down to 14-14. As for Natalia, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost 11 of their last 13 contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 10-19 record this season.
Crystal City was able to grind out a solid victory over Natalia in their previous matchup on January 9th, winning 48-35. The rematch might be a little tougher for Crystal City since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
