Independence Patriots march past East Lincoln Monday to Winter Jam title.
The 2019-20 high school basketball season didn’t start the way Independence High coach Preston Davis was expecting.
The Patriots lost by 24 points at Sweet 16 No. 1 North Mecklenburg, and after a couple wins, Independence dropped three straight games to No. 4 Davidson Day, No. 5 First Assembly and No. 6 Ardrey Kell.
So what did the Patriots learn from their 2-4 start to the season?
One, it’s hard to incorporate five new starters against elite competition. And, two, it takes a little while for all the new guys to figure things out.
And from the looks of things, the 2018 N.C. 4A state champs have really started to figure things out.
“We have jelled a lot more,” senior guard Anthony Allen said after Monday’s 91-53 win over East Lincoln in the championship game of the 30th East Lincoln Winter Jam. “We’re getting to know each other and getting to know where everybody needs to be and where everybody is successful at. We play hard, all the time. We don’t back down. We lift each other up all the time and we just want to win.”
Monday, Independence (8-4) won its sixth straight game with a withering blend of athleticism, its staple 3-2 trapping zone defense and a display of outside shooting that left a packed house at East Lincoln stunned.
Independence led 18-8 after the first quarter and 35-18 at halftime. Every time East Lincoln (6-3) would score, you would blink and the Patriots would be pushing the ball back down the court for a layup, a 3 or a dunk.
“The game,” Allen said, “is a game of runs. You score and keep going.”
And that’s what the Patriots did Monday.
THREE WHO MATTERED
Allen: He averaged eight points per game last season but he had 34 Monday, earning tournament MVP.
“That kid put in a lot of work,” Independence coach Preston Davis said. “He’s been in the program since freshman year, he’s been on a (state) championship team, so he knows what it takes to win. He’s got hunger and he’s got a chip on his shoulder coming into this year, man. He’s seen a lot of success come his way and I’m glad it paid off for him.”
Justin Kuthan, East Lincoln: 6-6 post showed off some nifty moves and battled for rebounds. He finished with 20 points.
Jalen Hinton, Independence: Like Allen, a member of Independence’s 3-point brigade. The junior finished with 23 points.
WORTH MENTIONING
▪ Wonderful crowd at East Lincoln Monday. It got deafening in there early, and wonderful job by host school staff running the event. First class all the way ‘round.
▪ East Lincoln is a 2A school and Independence is a much larger 4A school. It will help East to play a team this fast and athletic. I doubt the Mustangs see another quite like it in the 2A playoffs. This experience will help them.
▪ I like East Lincoln 6-3 senior guard Myles Adams, a sweet-shooting leftie who showed easy dunking skills in warmups. He wasn’t phased by Independence’s blitzkrieg and just kept playing.
They Said It
“That (North Meck game) was a learning experience for us and we’ve taken that and we’re trying to get better every day, and right now we’re starting to figure some things out and I’m excited for the rest of the season” -- Independence’s Davis.
Independence 18 17 35 21 -- 91
East Lincoln 8 10 19 16 -- 53
INDEPENDENCE 91 -- Bodrick 8, Anthony Allen 34, Verdier 9, Miller 6, Little 4, Givens 4, Jalen Hinton 23, King 1, Harrington 2
EAST LINCOLN 53 -- Jones 7, McCowan 2, Myles Adams 14, Bean 2, Brown 9, Justin Kuthan 20
All-Tournament Team: Kquamere Locklear, Garinger; Jamitt Springer, East Meck; JP Haggerty, Cuthbertson; George Duncan, Northwest Cabarrus; Justin Boateng, Robinson; Nathan Chambers, Hough; Omarion Bodrick, Independence; Nygell Verdier, Independence; Miles Adams, East Lincoln; Justin Kuthan, East Lincoln; Anthony Allen, Independence, MVP
This story was originally published December 31, 2019 at 12:57 AM.
