Rustlers lose thriller to Huskies

The Lakeland Rustlers gave the ACAC North's top team everything they could handle, but couldn't pull off the Friday night showdown.

Lakeland came into the matchup with Keyano 9-3, hoping to have a shot at getting to 1st in the division. In the opening quarter, the road team was a little more accurate taking jump shots, landing a 21-17 lead. In the second quarter, the Rustlers had turned the tables, getting out in front 44-40, with contributions throughout the starting lineup and beyond.

In the third, several missed layups cost the Rustlers a chance to extend their lead, while the Huskies bounced back to go up 57-55. THe fourth quarter was a barn burner, with Keyano looking like they would run away with the game, only for the home team rallying back, rinsed and repeated, for several minutes. A late unsportsmanlike call that gave the Huskies a free throw and extra possession forced the Rustlers into a hail mary that nearly landed, but Keyano came away with the 77-76 win, with both teams exchanging words after the game.

Andre McFadden had 30 points, Ryan Williams scored 24 points for the Huskies.

The two teams will face each other again at 3:00 PM Saturday.