Independence lost against Riverside back in February of 2024 and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Friday. Independence took a hard 80-66 fall against the Riverside Ram. While losing is never fun, Independence can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Virginia basketball rankings (they are ranked 260th, while Riverside is ranked 18th).
Independence's loss came despite strong showings from Mason Ogburn and Abhay Grewal. Ogburn went 5 for 10 on his way to 19 points and five boards, while Grewal almost dropped a double-double on 13 points and nine rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Jordan Ratliff, who posted six points.
Independence
| 01/24/25 vs Riverside | 66-80 |
| 01/21/25 vs Stone Bridge | 66-68 |
Even though they lost, Independence smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in three consecutive matches.
Riverside's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Joell Basue, who went 11 of 16 en route to 22 points and six rebounds. Those 22 points gave Basue a new career-high. Max Lawson was another key player, going 7 for 11 on his way to 18 points and five boards.
Independence dropped their record down to 3-13 with the defeat, which was their seventh straight at home. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 58.1 points per game. As for Riverside, the victory (which was their ninth in a row) raised their record to 16-1.
Independence has already played their next contest, a 61-47 win against Briar Woods on the 28th. As for Riverside, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next game, an 82-67 victory against Stone Bridge on the 28th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
