The Nucla Mustangs will take on the Mancos Bluejays at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Nucla's defense has only allowed 26.5 points per game this season, so Mancos' offense will have their work cut out for them.
Nucla took a loss when they played away from home back in December of 2024, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They came out on top against Ridgway by a score of 38-29. While the Mustangs didn't have the best season last year (they finished 9-12), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
Nucla got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Lantry Galley out in front who dropped a double-double on 14 points and ten boards. Another player making a difference was Cadence Shaw, who posted seven points in addition to six boards and five steals.
Nucla smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 25 consecutive matches dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Mancos had to endure a six-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They put the hurt on Ouray with a sharp 39-14 win on Thursday. The Bluejays' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Nucla has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won six of their last seven games, which provided a nice bump to their 8-2 record this season. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 24.0 points per game. As for Mancos, their victory (their first of the season) made their record 1-6.
Nucla came up short against Mancos when the teams last played back in February of 2024, falling 41-31. Can Nucla avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
