Pirates' Season Comes To An End In Quarterfinals 

March 3, 2019 

PARK CITY, Kan. - The stage was set in the Region VI Quarterfinals and the Independence Pirates prepared for battle as they took on the #13 Seward County Saints. Independence competed tightly for quite a while, but the high pace and quick shooting of Seward County did the Pirates in, 83-60. 

The Pirates had two players in double figures with Tonje Durham scoring 15 points and Tyreece Berry scoring 14 points. 

In the first half, a bucket for Anquaevious Pollard gave Independence an early 2-0 lead before a trip to the line for Isiah Small tied it up and a bucket by Yarden Willis gave Seward their first lead. The Saints added to their lead with a three by Reggie Miller and a free throw from Small before a three from Tyreece Berry, but a basket by Small made the score 10-5 at the 14:50 mark.  

 A bucket for Tyler Williams cut the lead to three before a three from Elijah Punnett, but a trip to the line for Kori Guest cut the lead down to five. The Pirates inched closer with a bucket by Tonje Durham before a basket from Hegel Augustin, but another score for Guest and a three from Durham tiedthe game at 15-15 at the 12:24 mark. 

A layup by Devin Bethely put Seward up by two before a three by Berry, but a trip to the line for Augustin tied the game at 18-18. A jumper for Small had Seward up by two before a layup by Bethely and Marco Morency pushed the lead to six and another score for Morency made it a 26-18. Another trip to the line for Small had the Saints leading by nine before a bucket by Ricky Edwards, but Seward would take a 28-20 lead at the 5:50 mark after a free throw from Morency.  

A pair of free throws for Miller pushed the lead to ten before a bucket by Morency pushed it to twelve, but a three by Derrick Redmon had the Pirates within nine. Another three by Morency reclaimed the twelve-point lead before a jumper by the freshman and a three from Miller mad it 40-23 at the 2:10 mark. 

A bucket from Kevin Charles got the lead down to fifteen points before a free throw by Augustin and a three from Morency had the lead at nineteen. Free throws for Berry and another basket for Charles got the lead down to fourteen and the Pirates trailed 44-29 at the break. 

The second half began with a trip to the line for Small followed by a bucket by Montrevion Flowers pushing the lead to eighteen before a basket by Durham and a trip to the line for Edwards. A basket by Morency made it a seventeen-point lead before a bucket by Durham, but a pair of free throws For Augustin made it 51-34 with 15:20 remaining. 

Another score for Morency pushed the lead to nineteen before a jumper by Durham, but a dunk from Morency made it 55-36 before a trip to the line for Pollard. A score for Berry brought the lead to sixteen before another three by Morency, but a layup for Pollard made it 58-41 with 12:00 remaining. 

A basket for Small and a floater from Bethely made the lead a twenty-three-point advantage before a bucket from Morency and free throws and a basket by Berry inched the Pirates closer, but a trip to the line for Morency had the Saints leading by twenty points. Back to back basket for Durham brought the Pirates within sixteen before a three from Augustin and another dunk for Morency followed by a free throw made the score 71-49 with 7:30 remaining. 

Another three from Morency stretched the lead to twenty-five before a bucket from Mamady Djikine , but a score from Willis followed by a bucket from Sean Pollack had the lead at twenty-five. A three-point play for Morency matched by another bucket for Pollack had the Pirates trailing by twenty-four before a basket from Jibril Harris, but a trip to the line for Pollack made the score 79-58 with 1:50 remaining. Seward County outscored the Pirates 4-2 in the final moments and Independence's season came to an end. 

Independence finishes the season with a record of 15-16 and 10-12 in the KJCCC.