Basketball Game Preview: Independence Patriots vs. Butler Bulldogs

Two dominant guards in Jaxson Neely and Kwamane Bridges are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Independence Patriots just played yesterday, but they'll still head out to face the Butler Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. Independence is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 62 points per game this season.

Independence will bounce into Saturday's match after beating Charlotte Catholic, who they had gone 1-6 against in their seven prior meetings. Independence walked away with a 63-51 victory over Charlotte Catholic on Friday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Patriots.

Independence found their leader in sophomore Lusemo Macharia, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 12 rebounds. The dominant performance gave Macharia a new career-high in points. Omarion Burgess was another key player, going 5 for 11 on his way to 15 points.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Butler, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Tuesday. They enjoyed a cozy 61-44 win over Grovetown on Tuesday.

Independence's victory was their fifth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 8-1. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 63.4 points per game. As for Butler, they now have a winning record of 4-3.