Men’s Game

Northwest Cabarrus 26, Independence 80

The Independence varsity basketball teams are among eight high schools participating in the 30th annual East Lincoln Winter Jam being played December 27,28, and 30 at East Lincoln High School in Denver, North Carolina.

The Independence men’s basketball team was first up on Friday afternoon at 2:30 pm, as the Patriots squared off against the Northwest Cabarrus Trojans in the opening round.

Independence posted its fourth straight win and scored a season high 80 points while their pressure defense held the Trojans to 26 points as the Patriots improved to 6-4 overall.

Senior Nygell Verdier led the Patriots with 17 points, 9 rebounds, with 4 assists, 4 steals, and 1 blocked shot.  Jalen Hinton added 11 points and  pulled down 1 rebound.   He also had 2 assists and 2 steals.  Anthony Allen scored 10 points and had 1 steal.  Sophomore Landon King added 10 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, had 2 assists and 1 blocked shot.

Omarion Bodrick had 8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 3 blocked shots. Lee Harrington scored 8 points and had 2 rebounds.  Tachai Miller and Divine Allah scored 5 points each.  Miller also had 4 assists and 4 steals.  Allah pulled down 1 rebound and had 2 assists and 2 steals.  De’Drick Givens had 4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocked shots.  Camren Little finished the night with 2 points, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 1 blocked shot.

The game was never in question as the Patriots jumped out to a 28-9 first quarter lead.  Indy never let up scoring 23 second period points while holding the Trojans to five points, and Indy led 51-14 at halftime.

As the third quarter got underway, the Patriots moved out to a 42 point lead  at which time the game clock ran continuously.  Shortly after, coach Preston Davis pulled his starters and emptied the bench.

The Patriots scored 29 second half points and held Northwest Cabarrus to only 12 points in the half.

Northwest Cabarrus   9    5    5    7  –  26

Independence          28  23  11  18  –  80

Women’s Game

East Lincoln 47, Independence 68

The Lady Patriots took to the court in the 7:00 pm game where they played the host team the East Lincoln Lady Mustangs.  This was the second time in 18 days that these two schools faced each other.

On December 9th the Lady Patriots played host to the Lady Mustangs in a game Indy won by 15 points 61-45.  In Friday night’s game Indy walked away with 21 point victory 68-47.

The 21 point victory did not come easy for the Lady Patriots.  East Lincoln jumped out to a 4-0 lead before Indy’s Braylyn Milton scored on an inbounds pass to make the score 4-2.  Milton tied the score at four.  Then she put Indy in the lead with a steal and a drive to the basket to give Indy its first lead 6-4 with 4:10 left in the first period.

With 2:30 left in the quarter, the Lady Mustangs tied the score at seven  and retook the lead 10-9 on a 3-point basket.

At the 1:06 mark, Laura Flynn received an inbounds pass and scored to give Indy an 11-10 lead.  As time ran out, Milton scored to make the score 13-10 as the first quarter ended.

After Indy opened up a ten point lead 21-11 with 4:19 remaining in the second period, the Lady Mustangs went on a 8-0 run to make the score 21-19 with 2:08 remaining in the period.

The half ended with East Lincoln hitting 3-of-6 from the line and Indy’s Braylyn Milton draining a 3-pointer and Laura Flynn scoring from the baseline to give Indy a four point halftime lead 26-22.

As the first half came to an end, Patriots’ coach Lauren Galvani was not happy with the game officials.  They had whistled 16 personals fouls against the Lady Patriots while calling only four against the Lady Mustangs.

With the large number of fouls called against Indy, the Lady Patriots had to start the second half with Braylyn Milton sitting on the bench with four personal fouls.

Indy’s Trinity Thompson started the third period with a rebound and a basket to make the score 28-22 with 7:15 left to play.

After an East Lincoln basket, Indy scored two quick baskets.  Trinity Thompson scored on a jump shot to give Indy a six point lead 30-24.  Then at the 5:48 mark Indy’s Azuria Barrino pulled down an offensive rebound and scored to make the score 32-24.

However, at the 4:42 mark the Lady Mustangs went on a 9-0 rum to take the lead 33-32 with 2:19 left in the third period.

With 2:06 remaining in the quarter, Alex Barrino hit a ten foot turn around jumper to put Indy back in the lead 34-33.

Trinity Thompson hit one-of-two from the charity stripe to give Indy a two point lead 35-33. At the one minute mark, Gracie Breckenridge scored in the lane and Alex Barrino scored as time ran out to give Indy a 39-34 third quarter lead.

Indy’s Trinity Thompson started the final period by nailing a 3-point basket followed  by a jumper in the lane, and with that the Lady Patriots were up by ten 44-34 with 6:55 left in the game.

After East Lincoln made two free throws, Trinity Thompson went to the line and made one of two shots to make the score 45-36.  Also during Thompson’s foul shots, Coach Galvani put Braylyn Milton back into the game.

At the 5:50 mark, Indy’s Gracie Breckenridge scored from the baseline followed by a Trinity Thompson 3-point basket.  Thompson was not finished. She stole the East Lincoln inbounds pass and drove to the basket to make the score 52-36 with 5:08 left to play.

With the Lady Patriots leading by 16 points, the Lady Mustangs had to start fouling, and Indy moved out to 64-47 lead with 1:36 remaining in the game.

Indy finished the game with baskets by Laura Flynn and Trinity Thompson to give the Lady Patriots a 68-47 first round victory.

Braylyn Milton led the Lady Patriots with 23 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 blocked shot.  Trinity Thompson added 21 points, with 2 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 steals.  Alex Barrino scored 6 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, had 4 steals, and 1 blocked shot.  Laura Flynn added 6 points, had 2 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, and 1 blocked shot.  Ayanna Anderson added 4 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 blocked shot.  Azuria Barrino scored 4 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. Gracie Breckenridge finished the night with 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 blocked shot.

East Lincoln     10  12  12  13  –  47

Independence  13  13  13  29  –  68