The Natalia Mustangs's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their third straight defeat. They took a 57-45 hit to the loss column at the hands of Crystal City. Natalia has not had much luck with Crystal City recently, as the team's come up short the last six times they've met.
Natalia's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Yahdi Lujan, who scored 22 points along with five steals, and Abby Fulton who scored eight points along with ten rebounds and four steals. That was a full 48.9% of Natalia's points, marking the fourth time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points.
Crystal City's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Alyson Mata, who dropped a double-double on ten points and ten rebounds. Mata is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as she's now pulled down eight or more in the last 12 games she's played. Selma Flores was another key contributor, scoring 15 points along with five steals.
Natalia has not been sharp recently as the team's lost 12 of their last 14 games, which put a noticeable dent in their 10-20 record this season. As for Crystal City, they are on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last ten contests, which provided a massive bump to their 16-14 record this season.
Natalia will head out on the road to square off against Cotulla at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Crystal City, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Hondo at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday. Crystal City is on a three-game streak of home wins, Hondo a four-game streak of away wins -- so someone will have to leave a streak behind on the court.
