The Isabella varsity girls basketball team applied its pressure defense from the start and stymied the Billingsley (2-1, 2-0) offensive attack en route to a 62-49 road win on Dec. 5.

Defense was a catalyst to immediate success as the Mustangs (3-1, 1-0) stretched out to an 18-11 lead at the end of the first quarter and 31-24 at halftime.

Synia Chattman and Kiara Ford each scored in double figures and played with active hands defensively.

Chattman scored a game-high 26 points and did so despite looming foul trouble. Ford finished with 14 points, which included a pair of three-pointers.

Both teams looked to push the ball up and down the court, but Isabella did a nice job of jumping into the passing lanes and forcing Billingsley into mistakes.

The Mustangs consistently made life difficult for Billingsley just to get the ball past the half court line.

Billingsley Senior Abby Tindol’s ball handling skills were on display, as she knifed her way through the trapping Isabella defense for some highlight reel baskets.

However, the Isabella guards won the majority of those matchups and it showed as the Mustangs methodically grew its lead in the second half.

In a game where the guards dominated much of the focus, Hollann Horton of Billingsley provided a presence on the boards.

Horton tallied 14 points in the paint to lead the Bears, while Tindol added 10 from her point guard position.

Noel Fjeldstad helped set the tone early for Isabella by sinking a pair of first half shots from long range.

The game was the second played in as many days by Billingsley.