Basketball Recap: Independence Snags Eighth Victory in Last Nine Games

Patriots

Margin (Wins)

01/03/25 vs Garinger	67
12/14/24 @ Wakefield	41
02/21/25 vs Butler	38
01/31/25 @ Garinger	30
01/09/25 vs East Mecklenburg	24

It can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Independence had no problem doing just that on Tuesday. They blew past the Palisades Pumas 54-34. The Patriots have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won ten contests by 20 points or more this season.

Independence found their leader in sophomore Lusemo Macharia, who dropped a double-double with 14 points and 15 boards. Those 15 rebounds set a new season-high mark for Macharia. Another player making a difference was Jaxson Neely, who almost dropped a double-double with nine points and 12 boards.

Independence smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've posted since back in February of 2024.

Palisades' defeat came despite a true team effort with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Aurek Fenn, who posted seven points. Matthew Dillard was another key player, putting up seven points.

Independence is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 22-5 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 64.0 points over those games. This is the second loss in a row for Palisades and nudges their season record down to 13-13.

Looking ahead, Independence will face off against Mooresville at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Independence is on a ten-game streak of home wins, Mooresville a three-game streak of away wins -- so someone will have to leave a streak behind on the court. Palisades does not have any more games scheduled as of now.