Basketball Game Preview: Mahpiya Luta Crusaders vs. Little Wound Mustangs

Mahpiya Luta has gone 9-1 against Little Wound recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Monday. The Mahpiya Luta Crusaders will be defending their home court for the first time this season when they go up against the Little Wound Mustangs at 5:00 p.m. Mahpiya Luta knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past five matchups -- so hopefully Little Wound likes a good challenge.

Mahpiya Luta is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of South Dakota's top teams: Rapid City Christian, who was ranked eighth at the time (Mahpiya Luta was ranked first). Mahpiya Luta simply couldn't be stopped on Saturday as they easily beat Rapid City Christian 62-31. Fans of the Crusaders have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 20+ points.

Jodene Big Crow-Hunter and Ashlan Carlow-Blount were among the main playmakers for Mahpiya Luta as the former went 7 for 16 on her way to 20 points and three steals and the latter dropped a double-double on 12 points and 11 boards. Carlow-Blount has been hot for a while, having also posted two or more steals the last 30 times she's played. Another player making a difference was Essence Tobacco, who posted ten points.

Mahpiya Luta smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in eight consecutive contests dating back to last season.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Little Wound). They came out on top against Todd County by a score of 51-44 on Saturday. The team's explosion on offense also rewarded the Mustangs with their most commanding win of the season.

Mahpiya Luta's victory bumped their record up to 5-0. As for Little Wound, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 3-4.

Everything came up roses for Mahpiya Luta against Little Wound in their previous meeting back in January, as the squad secured an 84-22 victory. Will Mahpiya Luta repeat their success, or does Little Wound have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.