It was a good run, but the Independence Patriots unfortunately witnessed the end of their four-game winning streak on Tuesday. They fell to Charlotte Catholic 49-43. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Independence in their matchups with the Cougars: they've now lost three in a row.
Independence's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Kamryn Kitchen, who scored 12 points along with two steals. Kitchen has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last nine times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Jessica Worthey, who scored eight points.
Charlotte Catholic's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Blanca Thomas, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 16 rebounds. Thomas is on a roll when it comes to blocks, as she's now posted three or more in the last seven games she's played. Another player making a difference was Olivia Fava, who scored nine points along with eight assists and five rebounds.
Independence's loss ended a seven-game streak of away wins and brought them to 14-5. As for Charlotte Catholic, their victory was their 14th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 16-3.
Independence will take on the Wildcats at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Garinger will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps North Carolina Rankings (they are ranked 209th, while the Patriots are ranked 16th). As for Charlotte Catholic, they won't have much time to rest: their next contest is against the Sabres at 3:30 p.m. on January 31st. One thing working in South Mecklenburg's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last three matches.
