The Youngker Roughriders's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Thursday after their fourth straight loss. They fell just short of Independence by a score of 60-58. Having run the score up that high, both teams might be doing some extra defensive drills very soon.
Despite the loss, Youngker had strong showings from Hayden Williams, who scored 14 points along with seven rebounds and two blocks, and Ares Chambers, who almost dropped a double-double on 17 points and nine rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Williams has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Xavier Hargrove, who scored four points along with nine rebounds and four blocks.
Even though they lost, Youngker were working as a unit and finished the game with 18 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Independence only racked up eight assists.
Independence's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Ive Niyomukiza, who scored 21 points along with five steals. Niyomukiza has been hot recently, having posted four or more steals the last five times he's played. Another player making a difference was James Davis, who scored 16 points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Youngker has traveled a rocky road recently having lost five of their last six games, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-10 record this season. As for Independence, the victory was the fifth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 10-12.
Youngker won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against the Cardinals at 7:00 p.m. on February 2nd. Glendale is coming into the match on a four-game losing streak. As for Independence, they won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against the Rams at 7:00 p.m. on February 2nd.
