The Munster Mustangs had already won ten in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 18.5 points), and they went ahead and made it 11 on Thursday. They put the hurt on Highland with a sharp 57-34 victory. Munster has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 12 matches by 20 points or more this season.
Munster's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Gracyn Gilliard, who almost dropped a double-double on 17 points and nine steals. Gilliard is crushing the point category: she's posted at least 17 every time she's taken the court this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Nina Garner, who scored 16 points along with seven rebounds and six steals.
Despite the loss, Highland saw an underclassman step up: Jordan Steele scored 17 points along with eight rebounds and four steals. It was the first time this season that Steele pulled down eight or more rebounds.
Munster has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 13 of their last 14 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 18-3 record this season. As for Highland, their defeat ended a five-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 12-7.
Munster won't have much time to rest: their next game is against the Bombers at 6:00 p.m. on January 26th. Rensselaer Central is on a eight-game streak of home wins, the Mustangs a four-game streak of away wins -- so someone will have to leave a streak behind on the court. As for Highland, they will face off against the Warriors at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Calumet New Tech is still on the hunt for that elusive first 'W'.
