INDEPENDENCE, Kan. - The Independence Men’s Basketball team lost a heartbreaker Wednesday evening, as a last second chance to tie the game, rattled off the rim, resulting in a 93-90 loss to Fort Hays Tech. 

Independence was already firmly in position for the postseason as the 10th seed in the KJCCC tournament, but was looking to finish the regular season on a high note and send off their five sophomores in style. The Pirates got off to a flying start as they immediately jumped out to a 9-1 lead just over two minutes into the game. That would be their largest lead of the game as the Tigers weathered the early storm and was able to tie the game up at 12 just over five minutes in. In a game that saw 13 ties and 17 lead changes, both teams went back and forth for the entirety of the evening. Indy pushed their lead to seven in the first half with six minutes to go before Fort Hays ended the half on 16-8 run to take a one point lead to the half. 

In the second half, the Tigers quickly pushed their lead up to seven before a couple of buckets from Chiante Tramble and Chris Dockery, followed up by a pair of free throws from Trashaun Combs-Pierce tied the game at 57 with 13 minutes to go. The two teams would continue to trade baskets until a David Wilson dunk gave the Pirates a three point lead, their largest of the second half. Fort Hays would rip off an 8-0 run in the next minute to turn a three point deficit into a five point lead. Indy would answer with an 8-0 run of their own, beginning at the six minute mark to turn a seven point deficit into a one point lead with just under five minutes to play. The two teams would continue to trade baskets, as the majority of the lead changes occurred in the final four minutes of the game. With two minutes left, Jahmari Hamilton Brown hit a three pointer that gave Indy an 87-86 lead. After the two teams traded a handful of free throws, Trashaun Combs-Pierce was able to finish at the rim to tie the game at 90 with 30 seconds to go. Electing to burn a bit of the clock, Fort Hays’ Chase Harris stepped into a three point shot and buried it, leaving Indy just five seconds to tie the game. Out of a timeout, Chiante Tramble was able to drive the length of the court, and got a good look from 30 feet, as it clanged off the rim as the final buzzer sounded, resulting in the three point Fort Hays victory. 

Independence shot the ball well overall, but struggled from deep, shooting 52% from the field, but just 25% from three. Fort Hays won the rebound battle, while the Pirates had a slight edge in points in the paint. Ultimately, a very evenly matched affair as the clutch three pointer down the stretch was the difference for the Tigers. 

Tramble led the Pirates in scoring with 22 points and also dished out five assists. Chris Dockery and Jahmari Hamilton-Brown each finished in double figures in their final game at The Fieldhouse with 16 points and 13 points, respectively. Trashaun Combs-Pierce and David Wilson were big factors off the bench, both finishing in double figures with 14 points and 12 points. Dockery also pitched in a team high eight rebounds, and had four assists. 

Independence will now shift their focus to the postseason, as they will travel to take on seventh-seeded Garden City on Saturday in the first round of the KJCCC tournament.