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By ZACHARY SEIFTER/ Staff Writer

Isabella High School’s girls basketball team defeated Billingsley High School on Dec. 2 by a score of 65-32. The Mustangs improved their record to 3-0 with the victory, while Billingsley dropped to 0-2 after the loss.

The Mustangs started a bit slow in this game, but a surge late in the first quarter gave them momentum, resulting in the dominant win.

Billingsley kept things close in the first quarter, even having a lead with just a few minutes left on the clock. However, a pair of three-pointers, followed by two late baskets by Gracie Fjeldstad resulted in the Mustangs taking a 18-10 lead into the second quarter.

Those late baskets jump-started the Mustangs offense. In the second quarter, Isabella went on a 13-2 run, bringing the score to 31-12 with just a few minutes left in the quarter. While the offense was humming, the defense was smothering, applying a ton of pressure on Billingsley. The Mustangs were forcing turnovers continuously, allowing them to continue to build on their lead. At halftime, the score stood at 39-22 in favor of Isabella.

Isabella continued its dominant play in the third quarter. The defense continued to apply pressure, while the offense did not waste many possessions. Even when the Mustangs missed shots, there was someone there for the rebound and a follow-up shot. Another big run by the Mustangs came at the end of the quarter, and Isabella took a 58-28 lead into the final eight minutes.

In the fourth quarter, the Mustangs defense shut things down. They allowed Billingsley to score just four points in the final quarter, and when the final buzzer sounded, the scoreboard read 65-32 in favor of the Mustangs.

“We’ve had the same team for the past four years, and they’re really confident in the system we’re running,” Isabella head coach Jared Day said. “(We had) good ball movement, very good on defense, aggressive full-court pressure, ran the floor well. Started out with a few too many turnovers, but we cleaned that up. Just overall, a really good performance.”

The Mustangs will look to remain perfect when they hit the road on Dec. 7 to face the Verbena Red Devils. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 6 p.m.