Independence has had trouble finishing off games but the Blue Devils dominated the fourth quarter in Tuesday’s 59-40 win at Fairport Harding on Tuesday.
The Blue Devils outscored the Skippers in the final eight minutes, 22-11.
“Overall, I like how everyone played,” said Independence coach Hugh McMahon. “Guys come in and play as hard as they can in their role to help the team. The young men are learning that playing for your teammates leads to success for everyone. It’s fun to see them come together.”
It took Independence several possessions before the Blue Devils found their rhythm on offense. They went on to take a 19-11 lead into the second quarter.
Independence led at halftime, 31-20.
“I liked how we settled into the game tonight,” McMahon said. “We started slow but after just a few possessions we put together a good first half. We picked up our defense which led to better offense.”
Fairport pulled to within eight points after outscoring Independence, 9-6, in the third quarter, but the Blue Devils closed out the game on a high note.
“A key to our win was weathering a cold spell in the third quarter,” McMahon said. “We started working the ball inside out, which opened up good shots that just didn’t fall. We stayed with it in the fourth quarter and hit a few big jumpers. That allowed us to go back inside with the ball and get easy baskets or to the free throw line. Another key factor was our consistent defensive effort, which allowed us to make adjustments at halftime.”
Kyle Stefanski and Wyatt Flynn both scored 16 points for the Blue Devils while Andrew Teribery pitched in with eight and Jamie McMahon finished with five.
Independence improved to 7-9 overall and 6-6 in the Chagrin Valley Conference.
