East Mecklenburg lost a heartbreaker to Independence when they met back in February of 2024, and they left with a heavy heart again on Thursday. The East Mecklenburg Eagles came up short against the Independence Patriots, falling 69-45. The Eagles have struggled against the Patriots recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost matchup.
| 11/25/23 vs Porter Ridge | 33 |
| 01/09/25 @ Independence | 29 |
| 12/28/24 vs Carolina International | 28 |
| 12/12/23 vs Garinger | 25 |
| 12/28/23 vs Piedmont | 24 |
Despite the loss, East Mecklenburg still got an impressive performance from Ahmari Hicks, who went 11 for 19 on his way to 29 points. That's the most points Hicks has posted since back in November of 2023.
Independence's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Omarion Burgess, who posted 13 points and seven steals. Burgess is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last six games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Lusemo Macharia, who almost dropped a double-double on 15 points and nine rebounds.
East Mecklenburg's defeat dropped their record down to 8-6. As for Independence, the win (which was their fourth in a row) raised their record to 13-2.
East Mecklenburg didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next match, a 79-54 loss against Charlotte Catholic on the 14th. Independence has also already played their next game, a 71-50 victory against Rocky River on the 14th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
