Mustangs Fall Short in Thrilling Rivalry Clash with Raiders

From the opening tip, the game was a nail-biter. Mullen freshman Mackenzie Jones certainly made her presence felt on both ends of the court, while junior Tatum Jones battled fiercely in the paint.  Regis  countered with an aggressive press led by Hana Belibi, whose timely buckets kept the Raiders  just out of reach of the thundering Mustangs.  The first half went back and forth, ending with  Regis clinging to a 29-21 lead. 

The second half was a masterclass in resilience.  Mullen, fueled by the tireless hustle and effort by sophomore Allison Schwertner and the offensive hustle of Mackenzie Jones, chipped away at the lead, drawing to within sight of victory.  The gym was full of electricity as both sets of fans were cheering  on the back-and-forth action. 

As the 3rd quarter came to an end the Mullen Mustangs trailed 48-39.  The Mustangs gave their  best effort as the 4th quarter got underway.  To begin the quarter, Mullen quickly benefited from back-to-back buckets from Mackenzie Jones and senior McKenzie Wood.  Moments later, Allison Schwertner put her  defender in the spin cycle and laid in an easy score cutting the lead to 6-points.  Late in the quarter,  Mackenzie Jones added a couple of crucial free throws which kept Mullen close.  With under a minute to play, Mackenzie Jones would step up to the free throw line and put both in cutting the deficit to 64-60, but Regis was able to keep Mullen at bay and hang on for the  win. 

While the scoreboard favored Regis, the night belonged to both teams.  Mackenzie Jones’  relentless effort, Tatum Jones’ undeniable hustle, and Allison Schwertner’s clutch play will be  etched in the minds of fans for the rest of the season. 

Though the Mustangs may have fallen short, they played with their hearts on their sleeves  knowing they had given their all. The Mustangs will travel to Arizona for an in-season  tournament.