The Independence Patriots waltzed into their match on Friday with three straight wins but they left with four. They enjoyed a cozy 54-36 win over Shady Spring. That result was just more of the same for these two, as Independence also won the last time the pair played back in January.
Leading Independence to victory were Lacey Goodson and Harmony Mills. Goodson dropped a double-double on 18 points and ten rebounds, while Mills dropped a double-double on 19 points and 11 rebounds. Mills hasn't dropped below ten rebounds for 13 straight games. Kamryn Wooten was another key contributor, scoring three points along with 11 rebounds and two steals.
Shady Spring's loss came despite strong showings from Skyler Gibson and Kendall Lilly. Gibson scored five points along with five steals, while Lilly scored seven points along with nine rebounds and two steals. It was the first time this season that Gibson grabbed two or more steals.
Even though they lost, Shady Spring smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Independence pushed their record up to 14-2 with that win, which was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.6 points per game. As for Shady Spring, they still haven't won a game yet this season and fell to 0-15.
Independence will be playing at home against the Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. As for Shady Spring, they will head out on the road to challenge the Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. PikeView presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than the Tigers in West Virginia (the Panthers are ranked 21st, while the Tigers are ranked 111th).
