INDEPENDENCE, Kan. - The Independence Men’s Basketball team set a new season long win streak, with their fifth straight victory, as they knocked off Fort Hays Tech Northwest 81-70 on Wednesday night. 

The first half was very tightly contested as the largest lead by either team was a six point lead in favor of the Pirates later in the half. Both teams were nearly identical in shooting numbers through the first 20 minutes as the Pirates finished the first half at 41.9% while the Tigers finished at 42.3%. The Tigers had a slight advantage from deep, but the Pirates made up for it going 90% from the free throw line in the first half. 

After the Tigers kicked off the second half with a three point make on their first possession, Indy settled in, rattling off a 12-2 run to push their lead to 12 at 49-37 at the first media timeout. 

A steal and a breakaway layup from Lonnie Bass Jr. would give the Pirates their largest lead of the night at 14, just before the 12 minute mark. 

The Tigers would not go away, as they responded with 11 unanswered points to cut the lead all the way back down to three, before David Wilson finally ended the Tiger run with an alley-oop from Sterling Knox. The Pirates would quickly push the lead back out to nine after a pair of free throw trips from Wilson and Knox, and would be able to keep the Tigers at bay for the duration of the second half. The two teams would trade off scoring stretches over the final minutes of the half, as five points was the closest the Tigers were able to cut the lead. A Trae Lewis three point make in the final minute was the final dagger as the Pirates hung on to notch the double–digit victory. 

The Pirates finished the night with slight advantages in shooting, as they were 44% from the field and 26% from deep, including an outstanding 25-26 from the free throw line, good for 96%. The Tigers finished with a slight advantage on the glass, while the Pirates were able to convert 19 Tiger turnovers into 27 points. 

The win moves Indy back into a tie atop the KJCCC standings with Butler at 12-5. The Pirates will now shift their focus to Saturday, where they will travel to take on Garden City at 4:00 pm. The Pirates outlasted the Broncbusters back on December 6th, winning 101-92 at The Fieldhouse.