The Leadore Mustangs came into Friday's game having lost three straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They had just enough and edged Mackay out 53-50. The win was just what Leadore needed coming off of a 64-44 defeat in their prior game.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Leadore to victory, but perhaps none more so than Mason Herbst, who scored 20 points along with six rebounds and six steals. Herbst has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last 11 times he's played. Another player making a difference was Taylor Ayers, who scored nine points along with seven rebounds and seven steals.
When it comes to explaining why Mackay lost on Friday, one person who can't be blamed is Kaizer Summers. Despite the final result, he dropped a double-double on 18 points and 13 rebounds. That was a full 36% of Mackay's points, marking the fifth time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Ruger Nicholls, who scored 13 points along with eight rebounds and two blocks.
Leadore's victory bumped their record up to 6-15. As for Mackay, they now have a losing record at 8-9.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Leadore will challenge Taylor's Crossing at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Leadore is coming into the contest with three straight wins on the road, meaning Taylor's Crossing will have to defend against a squad hungry for a win. As for Mackay, they won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against American Heritage at 2:00 p.m. on February 3rd. Hopefully Mackay focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 33 on Friday.
