The Independence Patriots had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They put the hurt on Watauga with a sharp 76-51 victory on Friday. The win made it back-to-back wins for Independence.
Independence's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Kaleb Jasper, who scored 17 points along with five assists. It was the first time this season that Jasper scored 15 or more points. Yancey Thomason was another key contributor, scoring 20 points.
Despite the defeat, Watauga had strong showings from Jackson Pryor, who scored 16 points along with six rebounds and two blocks, and Maddox Greene, who scored 13 points along with two steals. Another player making a difference was Josiah Railey, who scored nine points along with five rebounds and two steals.
Independence pushed their record up to 22-6 with that win, which was their third straight on the road. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 58.7 points per game. As for Watauga, their loss ended a nine-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 22-6.
Independence will head out on the road to face off against Myers Park at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Myers Park will roll in looking for their 23rd straight win, something Independence surely won't give up without a fight. Watauga does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
