The Palisades Pumas will venture away from home to face off against the Independence Patriots at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. One thing working in Palisades' favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last five matches.
Last Tuesday, Palisades didn't have quite enough to beat Olympic and fell 61-59. The Pumas haven't had much luck with the Trojans recently, as the team has come up short the last three times they've met.
Tymon Simpkins
| 02/18/25 @ Olympic | 12 |
| 12/04/24 @ Lancaster | 11 |
| 12/03/24 vs Catawba Ridge | 11 |
| 11/16/24 vs West Cabarrus | 8 |
| 11/19/24 @ East Mecklenburg | 7 |
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Tymon Simpkins, who dropped a double-double with 13 points and 12 boards. Those 12 rebounds gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jayen Reeves, who to rack up 16 points and five boards.
Even though they lost, Palisades smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Olympic only four offensive boards.
Meanwhile, Independence waltzed into their game on Friday with three straight wins... but they left with four. They blew past the Bulldogs 70-32. The Patriots have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine contests by 21 points or more this season.
Independence's win came from a few key players Palisades will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Nick Barnes, who on his way to 15 points and three steals. Jaxson Neely was another key player, en route to 13 points and six rebounds.
Independence pushed their record up to 21-5 with the win, which was their ninth straight at home. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 68.0 points over those games. As for Palisades, their loss dropped their record down to 13-12.
Palisades didn't have too much breathing room in their matchup against Independence when the teams last played back in December of 2024, but they still walked away with a 51-45 victory. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Independence's Daniel Waritay, who to rack up 20 points and five boards. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Palisades still be able to contain Waritay? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
