Basketball Game Preview: Independence Patriots vs. Garinger Wildcats

Independence has gone 10-0 against Garinger recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Independence Patriots are taking a road trip to challenge the Garinger Wildcats at 7:30 p.m. Independence is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 62.7 points per game this season.

Independence took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They came out on top against Charlotte Catholic by a score of 72-65.

Independence got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Lusemo Macharia out in front who almost dropped a double-double on 17 points and nine boards. Macharia has been hot recently, having posted eight or more rebounds the last three times he's played. Another player making a difference was Kaleb Jasper, who posted 16 points in addition to seven assists and six boards.

Independence smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in five consecutive contests.

Meanwhile, Garinger played a tough match on Tuesday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were outmatched by East Mecklenburg and fell 78-33. While losing is never fun, the Wildcats can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 503rd, while the Eagles are ranked 117th).

Independence's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-4. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 76.3 points per game. As for Garinger, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost 11 of their last 12 games, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-15 record this season.

Everything came up roses for Independence against Garinger in their previous matchup on January 3rd, as the team secured a 93-26 victory. In that contest, Independence amassed a halftime lead of 61-13, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.