MINT HILL, NC – On Thursday night in the semi-final round of the Southwestern 4A Conference basketball tournament, the host team, the Independence Lady Patriots, upset the regular season champions and the number one seeded Providence Lady Panthers. The Lady Panthers jumped out to an early lead and led by seven 22-15 at the half.
In the third quarter, the Lady Patriots showed they were not out of the tournament by staging a complete team comes back. The Ladies did not give up and fought with everything they had to upset Providence 41-37 and advance to the championship round. The Lady Patriots took their first lead with fifty-five seconds left in the third quarter. After sophomore Kaylee Carson made two free throws to tie the score 24-24, Providence turned the ball over. Another Indy sophomore Chloe Moss drained a 3-pointer from the right elbow to put the Lady Patriots in the lead 27-24 after three-quarters of play.
At the start of the final period, Indy freshman Kamryn Kitchen took the ball to the basket and scored increasing Indy’s lead to five points 29-24. However, Providence fought back and re-took the lead 31-29 with 6:20 left in the game. With four minutes showing on the clock, Kaylee Carson hit a short jumper putting the Lady Patriots back on top 33-32.
Both teams swapped the lead back and forth for the next two minutes. With 1:51 to go, Providence hit a 3-point basket cutting the Lady Patriots lead to one point 36-35. At 1:15 left to play, Providence’s 3-point shot came up short and Indy came down with the rebound. With 0:57.1 seconds left in the game, Indy’s Tamia Burgess made two free throws giving the Lady Patriots a 3-point lead 38-35. After Kaylee Carson made a free throw, Indy was up 39-35 with 0:43.4 seconds showing on the clock. The Lady Panthers pushed the ball down the floor and scored off an offensive rebound making the score 39-37 with Indy leading.
After Indy missed the front end of a 1-for-1 free throw, Providences rushed the ball down the floor and missed a shot with eighteen seconds to play. Providence got the rebound and called time out with 0:12.6 left in the game. After the inbounds play, Providence attempted a 3-point shot, but Indy’s freshman Kamryn Kitchen blocked the shot with 3.7 seconds let in the game. Indy’s Chloe Moss came up with the loose ball and was fouled immediately. The sophomore walked down to the charity stripe and drained both free throws to ice the game 41-37 for the Lady Patriots. After the game Head Coach, Lauren Gavani said, “Our girls deserved to win like this. The season is long and we have a decent record. The girls just needed something where they beat a good team. And Providence is a good team, and they are a disciplined team. They are first at the conference for a reason.
So for the girls to focus on what we needed, to play defense, get rebounds, know who their best player is and where she is at all times, I thought our team executed those things really well, and it showed at the end of the game.”I asked the Coach to talk about the last possession as time was running out. She said: “On that last little possession we told them to switch through the screens because we knew they were going to go for a three. Providence took the shot and our freshman Kamryn Kitchen was there and got the block. Chloe Moss got the ball and hung onto it and picked up the foul. Chloe then proceeded to knock down the free throws to ice the situation for us.
What else can I say? Proud of this team.
”Chloe Moss led the Lady Patriots with 15 points. Kaylee Carson poured in 14, followed by Kamryn Kitchen with 9, and Tamia Burgess had 4.
Independence 5 10 12 14 – 41
Providence 12 10 2 13 – 37
