Or the sport in general.

Mascoutah High senior Sophia Loden and Waterloo senior Norah Gum are the best of friends.

The pair joined their parents for a postgame feast in downtown Mascoutah late Friday night minutes after the Indians topped Waterloo 68-63 in overtime in a Mississippi Valley Conference showdown.

"The girls won't talk about the game," said Sophia's father Jonathan. "It'll be what's upcoming in college and other things in their life."

The strong bond between the two girls normally prohibits rehashing the game.

Which is fine on both sides.

"We put aside our friendship when we're out there playing," Loden said. "Then, after the (game), it's back to being best friends again."

The two have played together on the club circuit for more than four years with the Missouri Phenom and then the Southern Illinois Hawks.

Loden and Gum hang around at each other's houses throughout the year. Loden has a basketball court at her residence, where the two will wile away the hours, practicing and talking about life.

The two are so close that they considered attending the same college. Gum, a 6-footer, is heading to Missouri S&T in Rolla. Loden, 5-foot-11, was leaning in that direction until she fell in love with the campus at Southern Indiana University in Evansville.

The multi-talented forwards seem to bring out the best in one another.

Loden tallied a game-high 26 points on Friday, three more than her average of 23.0, which leads the entire St. Louis area.

Gum scored 24 points before fouling out with 1 minute and 19 seconds left in regulation.

Loden has scored 129 points in her last five games when facing Waterloo. Gum has 112 points over the same span against Mascoutah.

The two put on quite a show Friday.

"It's fun just to sit back and watch them work," Mascoutah coach Frank Evans said.

Loden and Gum matched each other shot for shot in the tightly played contest before a near full house.

"Norah is a beast, a monster when she goes to the rim," Evans said.

Gum averages 19.9 points per contest.

Loden took over the game defensively in the extra session without Gum on the court. Loden pulled down six rebounds and recorded a steal over a stretch of 2:44.

That gives her bragging rights over her buddy, although the outcome was not discussed at dinner later in the evening.

"The best thing is that they have so much respect for one another," Evans said.

Mascoutah (18-7 overall, 6-2 MVC) recorded its ninth successive win, the longest streak since the Indians won 12 in a row from Jan. 24-March 1, 2004.

They needed some fourth-quarter magic to get the job done.

Waterloo (15-10, 4-4) was all set to take control when Gum converted on a left-handed layup through the lane for a 54-45 lead with 6:49 left in the regulation.

But the Indians answered with a 12-4 run to get to within 58-57. Loden hit a pair of a baskets. Senior Bella Hart closed the salvo with a steal and layup.

Loden came up big down the stretch with a coast-to-coast drive to knot the contest at 59-all with 7 ticks on the clock.

Mascoutah carried that momentum into the overtime by scoring the first six points. Hart again added two short jumpers and Katie Schneider chipped in with a big basket.

Waterloo finally got on the the board when Sam Lindhorst canned a triple with 21 seconds left in the OT.

Yet it was simply too late.

Loden's ability to take over the game at the defensive end came as no surprise to Evans.

"That's the kind of player she is," Evans said. "I'm more impressed with her 1,000 (career) rebounds than her scoring totals."

Loden is the all-time leader in both categories at the school. She has amassed 1,813 points at Mascoutah.

Schneider tallied 16 points for the winners Friday. Hart had 13 points.

The top two scorers in the MVC could possibly face each other in post-season play next month.

Both are looking forward to one final confrontation.

"I'm not ready to stop playing against her yet," Gum said.