Most smart coaches take their starters out of a game like that after they have the win secured. No reason to keep them in longer than necessary and risk a season ending injury in a meaningless 40 point blowout. I have seen the injury bug hit multiple times in situations like this, and I just shake my head. I really feel for the kids affected by it.
Thank you for your concern AAUbingo. Finding coaches information to ask those questions are pretty easy to find with the internet and MSHSAA. You'll also find most the coaches are very open and responsive. Might have been a situation where the one "stud" athlete got put back in because she had 998 career points and she was playing in more likely than not her last home game for the season with our home crowd. Hopefully in the future if you have a question you will ask the person that can give you the answer.
Side note the score was 50-71 with 5 minutes to play before we went on a 15-4 run in a 3 minute span with both teams starters in the game. Iberia cleared their starters at 1:53 and we cleared the next dead ball at 1:42. Stud Athlete returned for one possession of offense to give her one shot to get her 1000th career point which was a 8 footer not "continue to shoot 3's".