Laughlin is 0-10 against Needles since January of 2018 but things could change on Tuesday. The Laughlin Cougars will look to take advantage of their home court for the first time this season as they take on the Needles Mustangs at 4:30 p.m.
Laughlin is headed into Tuesday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game two weeks ago. They were dealt a 63-23 loss at the hands of White Pine. The Cougars were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 34-13.
Despite the defeat, Laughlin saw an underclassman step up: sophomore AmorA ThomAs posted 16 points. That was a full 69.6% of Laughlin's points, marking the fourth time in a row she's put up more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Valeria Quintero, who had five points.
Meanwhile, Needles got the win against Durango on Saturday by a conclusive 54-30. The Mustangs have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six contests by 23 points or more this season.
Laughlin better keep an eye on Gianna Collier. She was instrumental in Needles' win, going 7 of 11 from beyond the arc on her way to 23 points. That makes it five consecutive games in which Collier has scored at least a third of Needles' points. The team also got some help courtesy of Emilee Mills, who posted five points along with six rebounds and six steals.
Needles smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in three consecutive games.
Needles' win was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-3. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 26 points. As for Laughlin, their loss dropped their record down to 1-3.
Laughlin was dealt a bruising 61-19 defeat at the hands of Needles in their previous meeting back in February of 2024. That match was all but decided by halftime, at which point Laughlin was down 42-4.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
