GARDEN CITY, Kan. - With the holiday break behind them, the Independence Lady Pirates began 2019 on the road against the Garden City BroncBusters. The game was highly competitive and even took a few extra minutes, but in the most unlikely fashion Independence dropped the contest 76-75.  

The Lady Pirates had two players in double figures led by Brittany Reeves with 29 points and Mychaell Gray with 13 points. 

In the first quarter, the Busters took the first lead with a quick layup from Daz'Monique Johnson and for the next few minutes, the game was scoreless until a bank shot from Brittany Reeves tied the score at 2-2. 

Reeves attacked the basket and was fouled making both shots for a 4-2 lead and Independence extended the lead to 6-2 after a layup from Kierra Crockett. A bucket from Kelcy McHenry was answered by Reeves on the other end, but Johnson continued to have an effect with another basket. 

Reeves found the hoop on two more occasions making the score 12-6 just before a layup by Victoria Mikkelsen pushed the lead to eight at the 2:23 mark. Mikkelsen pushed the lead to ten with a quick score, but Johnson made it 16-8 at the 45 second mark. Free throws from Jaleah Bellany cut the lead down to six, but a quick jumper by Cayla Trotter made the score 18-10 Independence heading to the next period. 

The second quarter began with another bucket by Reeves pushing the Lady Pirates' lead to ten and a 3-0 run after a layup by Fatarah Kinnard made the score 23-10 with 7:00 remaining. Johnson drained a three-pointer to keep Garden City within ten points, but a quick pass from Mikkelsen to Mychaell Gray put the lead back to twelve just before a quick layup for the Busters. 

A long shot from Macie Price made the score 28-15, but Dashanae Pajeaud answered quickly with 3:45 remaining before the half. Free throws from Trotter pushed the score to 30-17, but a foul sent Johnson to the line where she made a pair of free throws to cut the lead down to 11 points. 

Gray broke inside quickly to push the score to 32-19 with a quick layup and free throws from McHenry kept the Busters in it, but Mikkelsen found the basket making it 34-21. A three-pointer from Sarah Alsabbaheen cut the score to ten, but a single free throw from Gray made the score 35-24 going ito the break. 

In the third quarter, Crockett pushed the lead to 15 points with back to back layups, but a three-pointer from Bellany made the score 39-27 at the 5:57 mark. A quick, inside shot from Logan Collyer pushed the Independence lead to 14 points, but a three from Alsabbaheen made the score 41-30 at the 4:11 mark. 

Reeves delivered inside with a bank shot, but a foul sent Deborah Ford to the line where she made two shots to cut the lead down to eleven. Moments later Independence's Collyer made two shots from the line, but the fouls continued to roll in as Pajeaud went two for two making the score 45-34 in favor of the Lady Pirates. 

A three-point play by Johnson and a three-pointer from Bellany cut the lead down to six and a layup from Talia Roberts had the Busters within four, but an outside shot from Gray had the Lady Pirates leading 48-41 heading into the final minutes of play. 

The fourth quarter began with a quick jumper by Jessica Goodluck to push the lead to nine, but free throws from Alyssa Boyce made it 50-42. After a series of free throws, a three-point play from Taneigh Boyd cut the Independence lead to six with 6:26 remaining in regulation. 

A 3-1 run capped by a layup from Roberts cut the lead to four, but back to back scores by Reeves had the Lady Pirates up 57-49 with 5:14 remaining in regulation. Johnson responded with a quick layup and Bellany found the bucket to cut even more into the lead, but Reeves again was down low to extend the lead back to six. 

A 3-0 run after a score from Roberts cut the score to 59-56, but free throws from Gray brought it back to five just before Roberts made it 61-59 after converting a three-point play. Mikkelsen found the basket quickly but a score by Pajeaud made it a two-point game with 2:28 remaining in regulation. 

The game was tied for the first time after a bank shot from Pajeaud at 63-63, but free throws by Gray gave Independence a two-point lead with 1:15 remaining in regulation. Two shots from the line by Roberts tied the game at 65-65, but Gray answered with a floater with 16 seconds remaining to put the Lady Pirates up 67-65 just before Roberts sent the contest to overtime tied at 67-67. 

In overtime, Independence took a 69-67 advantage after Reeves scored down low, but moments later Roberts hit a three-pointer to give Garden City their first lead before a quick bucket by Mikkelsen gave the Lady Pirates a 71-70 advantage with 2:31 remaining. 

Free throws from Roberts and Felicity Houston gave the Busters a 73-71 lead, but Reeves delivered for the tie with 1:45 remaining. Independence went back down low to Reeves for the lead with a quick layup at 75-73, but a three-point foul at 0.6 seconds sunk the Independence chances as Roberts converted all three. 

Independence (6-7, 1-5) returns home to ICC Field House Wednesday January 9 hosting the Seward County Saints with tipoff set for 6 pm.