Basketball Recap: Redmond Picks Up Fifth Consecutive Win

If Mercer Island wanted to avenge their loss from the last time they played Redmond, they should've done a better job of containing Iha Kasam. The Redmond Mustangs pulled ahead with a 70-69 photo finish over the Mercer Island Islanders on Monday thanks in part to Kasam, who posted 29 points and eight steals. The match was her third in a row with at least ten points.

Natalie West was another key player, dropping a double-double on ten points and 18 boards. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 8.6 rebounds per game.

Mercer Island's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Anna Mock, who put up 16 points and six rebounds. Mock has been hot recently, having also posted two or more steals the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Izzy Russell, who went 6 of 9 on her way to 15 points.

The win keeps them at an undefeated 5-0. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 68.8 points per game. As for Mercer Island, they are on a seven-game losing streak (dating back to last season) that has dropped them down to 0-5.

Redmond and Newport - Bellevue will compete for holiday cheer at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday. Redmond knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past five games -- so hopefully Newport - Bellevue likes a good challenge. Mercer Island will take on Bellevue in a holiday battle at at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday. Bellevue is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 60.3 points per game this season.