Briar Woods is 1-6 against Independence since January of 2022 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Briar Woods Falcons will head out on the road to challenge Independence at 6:00 p.m. Briar Woods has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.
Briar Woods fought the good fight in their overtime contest against Independence on Wednesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell to the 59-55. Having run the score up that high, both teams probably have some extra defensive drills coming up.
Despite the loss, Briar Woods saw an underclassman step up: Ryan Brzezanski dropped a double-double on 29 points and 16 rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Brzezanski has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Devon Pettibone, who scored 15 points along with two steals.
Even though they lost, Briar Woods smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Independence only pulled down four offensive rebounds.
Briar Woods has traveled a rocky road recently having lost seven of their last eight matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-13 record this season. As for Independence, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four matches, which provided a massive bump to their 9-12 record this season.
Monday's match is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Briar Woods have been dynamite from deep this season, having made 37.8% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Independence struggles in that department as they've made 40% of their threes this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Briar Woods came up short against Independence in their previous meeting on Wednesday, falling 59-55. Can Briar Woods avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
