The Mustangs gave everyone who made the trek to Black Hawk something to cheer about on Thursday night, Jan. 18, as they made the 0-8 Gilpin County Eagles 0-9, thrashing them by an astounding 43-point margin. It was the first league win of an already successful campaign for the Mustangs, which tied them for fifth in the Mile High League at 1-1, with an additional loss to Clear Creek.

A shortened week for the Mustangs meant that they had ample time to recover from their 65-50 win over rivals Cripple Creek and prepare for the long and arduous stretch ahead. Thus well-rested, the Mustangs loaded up the bus for the trip up I-70, eventually leading them to victory. Much like the drive to Gilpin, the whole game kept going up and up for the Mustangs. They immediately jumped out to a 9-0 lead, which they would not relinquish for the rest of the night. Even as the Eagles tried to claw back into the game, coming to within three points early, the Mustangs kept the pressure on and finished the first quarter by 10.

The rest of the night would prove to be one of the more uneventful ones for the Mustangs, as they kept attacking the basket and scoring a lot of layups and short jump shots. The Mustang's onslaught of two-pointers showed how the Mustangs can deviate from their typical reliance on long-three-point baskets, especially at the capable hands of Nolan M. and Riley A. The Mustangs had a miniscule amount of three-point baskets go in, only netting three. One from Nolan, one from Riley and one from Luc S., all three of whom scored more than 20 points, combining for a total of 73 of 79 total points for Denver Academy.

More than anything, the game showed that the Mustangs were good at adapting to different situations throughout the game, which they will need in their upcoming games this season. They had two back-to-backs on the 22nd and 23rd and the 26th and 27th of January. The Mustangs would take only one of the games that week and take their two worst losses of the season at Denver Christian School and Bishop Machebeuf, losing by 57 and 48 points, respectively.

The Mustangs need the support of fans now more than ever. Join the stands for the High School Mustang basketball games this week at home on Tuesday, Feb. 6 and Thursday, Feb. 8. Check out the DA Athletics Calendar here for details.