The Natalia Mustangs's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their fifth straight loss. Their rough 58-32 loss to Crystal City might stick with them for a while. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Natalia in their matchups with Crystal City: they've now lost five in a row.
When it comes to explaining why Natalia lost, one person who can't be blamed is Yahdi Lujan. Despite the final result, she scored 19 points. Lujan scored a full 59.4% of Natalia's points, the fifth time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points.
Even though they lost, Natalia were smashing the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Crystal City only pulled down 20 offensive rebounds.
Crystal City found their leader in underclassman Alyson Mata, who dropped a double-double on 24 points and 12 rebounds. That's the first time this season that Mata scored 15 or more points. The team also got some help courtesy of Bela Tapia, who scored eight points along with eight rebounds and three steals.
Natalia has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost eight of their last ten games, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-13 record this season. As for Crystal City, their win bumped their record up to 9-12.
Natalia and Navasota will face off at 1:30 p.m. on December 29, 2023 without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Navasota will be looking to extend their current nine-game winning streak. Crystal City and Lutheran will face off at 4:30 p.m. on December 29, 2023 without much rest after finishing up games yesterday.
