The Needles Mustangs put another one in the bag on Tuesday to keep their perfect season alive. They walked away with a 58-51 victory over Parker. Given Needles' advantage in MaxPreps's basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 19th in California, while Parker is ranked 158th in Arizona), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Needles' victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Xavier Russell, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 11 rebounds. Russell is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last five games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Luca Walema, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Needles' win was their 14th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 19-0. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 69.4 points per game. As for Parker, their loss dropped their record down to 7-6.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Needles will take on Awaken Christian at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Awaken Christian has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 257 points over their last four matches. Parker won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against Kingman at 7:00 p.m. on January 17th.
