The Independence Patriots will square off against the South Mecklenburg Sabres at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
South Mecklenburg is hoping to do what Mallard Creek couldn't on Tuesday: put an end to Independence's winning streak, which now stands at four games. Everything went Independence's way against Mallard Creek as Independence made off with a 64-42 victory. That 22 point margin sets a new team best for the Patriots this season.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Independence to victory, but perhaps none more so than Jaxson Neely, who went 7 for 14 en route to 16 points plus seven rebounds and three steals. Neely is crushing it when it comes to steals: he's grabbed at least two every time he's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Omarion Burgess, who earned 11 points plus two steals.
Meanwhile, South Mecklenburg came up short against Charlotte Catholic on Tuesday and fell 68-61. The Sabres have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Despite their defeat, South Mecklenburg saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Jim Gatehouse, who earned 13 points along with eight rebounds and two steals, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Ben Houpt, who went 5 for 9 en route to 13 points plus five rebounds.
South Mecklenburg's loss dropped their record down to 3-3. As for Independence, their win bumped their record up to 4-0.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as the two teams are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Independence hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 61.5 points per game. However, it's not like South Mecklenburg struggles in that department as they've been averaging 58.2. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
Independence couldn't quite finish off South Mecklenburg in their previous matchup back in November of 2023 and fell 56-54. Can Independence avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
