The Independence Patriots basketball teams went on the road Friday to complete the conference series with the Porter Ridge Pirates. The Patriots won all four games starting with the junior varsity girls taking a 38-25 victory followed by the junior varsity boys routing the Pirates 51-26 to stay undefeated.
Women’s Game
Independence 72, Porter Ridge 19
The Independence women’s basketball team scored a season high 72 points en-route to a 72-19 Southwestern 4A Conference win Friday at Porter Ridge.
Sophomore point guard Braylyn Milton led the Lady Patriots with 24 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 7 steals. Ayanna Anderson posted a double double scoring 12 points and pulling down 13 rebounds. Julia Rohlfing had 10 points. Sharonda Smith added 9 points. Grace Breckenridge scored 6 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Azuria Barrino had 6 points hitting 3 back-to-back third quarter field goals. Aaliyah Lowery added 3 points, and Aaliyah Lowery closed out the scoring with 2 points.
The Lady Patriots built a 20-0 first quarter lead on nine points from senior Sharonda Smith six of which came from behind the 3-point arch. Braylyn Milton score 7 of her 24 points in the opening period. Ayanna Anderson and Grace Breckenridge each added 2 first quarter points.
Porter Ridge got on the board at the start of the second period making the score 20-2. The Lady Patriots went on to build a 34-2 lead before the Lady Pirates scored their second field goal. Porter Ridge scored its third basket of the night at the 1:05 mark to make the halftime score 39-6.
The second half was pretty much like the first half. The Lady Pirates just didn’t have an answer to Indy’s height advantage and could manage only three third quarter points as the teams headed into the final period with Indy leading 55-9.
Porter Ridge offense came alive in the fourth quarter scoring ten points, but Indy added 17 points of its own and went on to take a 72-19 conference win.The Lady Patriots improved to 5-5 in conference play and are 9-11 overall with four games remaining.
Independence 20 19 16 17 – 72
Porter Ridge 0 6 3 10 – 19
Men’s Game
Independence 84, Porter Ridge 34
On January 4, 2019 the fans at Independence High School saw these two participants go all out in a hard fought battle that had the Porter Ridge Pirates leading 42-37 at halftime.
Indy fought back in the second half and walked away with an eight point win 73-65. On Friday night the fans at Porter Ridge High School were anticipating a similar game between the two teams. However, the Patriots came out all fired up and ready to play, and on Friday night, the fans saw an entirely different basketball game.
The Patriots opened with a 12-0 run in the first four minutes of the game. Murray State commit Matt Smith, who missed Tuesday’s game due to illness, scored Indy’s first eight points. With Indy leading 8-0 with 3:20 remaining AJ McKee stole the ball at mid-court and passed to Tyler Harris who was breaking down the right side of the court. As the Porter Ridge defense got back down the floor, Harris gave the ball back to McKee on the left side of the lane for the basket putting Indy up 10-0.
On the Pirates’ next possession, Indy forced another turnover and McKee made the score 12-0 at the 3:11 mark. A few seconds later Indy’s stingy defense forced another turnover. The Pirates fouled Matt Smith as he drove to the basket. Smith put Indy up 13-0 with 2:41 left in the first period.
Porter Ridge got its only first quarter points at the 2:14 mark when the Pirates’ Cameron Stitt drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key.
The first quarter ended on an Anthony Allen basket making the score 15-3.In the second quarter Indy kept up its pressure defense and allowed only seven second quarter points while the Patriots’ offense poured in 21 points. Queens commit AJ McKee led the second period attack with 11 points. Raja Milton and Tyler Harris added 4 points each and Omarion Bodrice added 2 on a baseline dunk.
In the two teams first meeting in January, Indy trailed by eight at halftime. This time the Patriots led 36-10.
The third quarter was the best offensive period for both teams. Porter Ridge connected for 15 points while Indy’s offense poured in 34 points.
Western Carolina commit Tyler Harris led the third quarter assault with ten points. His biggest basket came at the 4:49 mark when AJ McKee made a steal in Porter Ridge’s front court. Harris was racing down the floor, and McKee got the ball to Harris at the foul line. Harris drove to the basket and brought the house down with a spectacular one handed windmill dunk that put the Patriots up 50-17.
Not to be out done, 5’11” Anthony Allen showed the crowd his leaping ability with a one handed dunk of his own with thirty seconds left in the quarter. Then with five seconds left, Allen drained a 3-pointer to make the score 70-23.
Porter Ridge scored on a 2-point jumper as the horn sounded to make the score 70-25 with the final period coming up.
In the final period Coach Davis cleared his bench and used the opportunity to give his substitutes some playing time. As coach Davis worked and coached his players, they scored 14 points and held Porter Ridge to 9 as the Patriots took a 84-34 conference win.
AJ McKee led the Patriots with 23 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Matt Smith had a double double scoring 13 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Tyler Harris poured in 12 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. Anthony Allen scored 9 points and 2 rebounds. Raja Milton had 8 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists and 4 steals. Omarion Bodrice scored 8 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, 1 assets and 1 steal. Tachai Miller had 4 points. Miles Pauldin and Amonti Burton had 3 points each. Khalid Grissett finished the scoring with 1 point.
Indy is alone in first place with a 10-0 conference record and 16-4 overall.
