The Leigh Longhorns came tearing into Friday's game with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9.3 points) and they left with even more momentum. They put the hurt on Independence with a sharp 74-53 win. Given Leigh's advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 303rd, while the 76ers are ranked 947th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Caleb Asante was his usual excellent self, scoring 14 points along with five rebounds and three steals. He is on a roll when it comes to blocks, as he's now posted two or more in the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Cooper Smith, who scored eight points along with five rebounds.
When it comes to explaining why Independence lost, one person who can't be blamed is Joshua Villanueva. Despite the final result, he scored 24 points along with six rebounds. Another player making a difference was Shaedon Flores, who scored nine points along with two steals.
Leigh is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last nine matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 13-7 record this season. As for Independence, they are on a 13-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 3-18.
Leigh will head out on the road to face off against the Chargers at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. One thing working in Wilcox's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last seven contests. As for Independence, they will look to defend their home court on Wednesday against the Bruins at 7:00 p.m. Branham is looking to tack on another W to their eight-game streak on the road.
