Basketball Recap: Make It Four in a Row for Needles

Mustangs

Margin (Wins)

12/20/25 vs Lincoln County	49
12/19/25 vs White Pine	46
12/12/25 vs Safford	31
01/01/26 vs Pinecrest Academy Sloan Canyon	25
12/11/25 vs Snowflake	24

Needles had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 33.3 points) and they went ahead and made it four on Thursday. They put the hurt on the Pinecrest Academy Sloan Canyon Pirate with a sharp 86-61 win. The Mustangs have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five matchups by 24 points or more this season.

Needles got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Darrell Russell out in front who dropped a double-double with 21 points and ten boards. What's more, Russell racked up six assists, the most he's had since back in February of 2025. Another player making a difference was Connor Goulet, who went 5-for-9 on his way to 13 points and six steals.

Needles' win bumped their record up to 8-2. As for Pinecrest Academy Sloan Canyon, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 7-3.

Coming up, Needles will be playing at home against Lake Mead Christian Academy at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Pinecrest Academy Sloan Canyon, they and Boulder City will face off at 1:00 p.m. on Friday without much rest, having both just played. The Pirate's defense better be ready for this one: the Eagles have averaged an impressive 58 points per game this season.