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Independence 86, Eastmoor 50 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Mark Francis, 01/30/21, 12:00AM EST

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Keshawn Harris' 24 points gives Independence another league win

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- With the varsity team not being allowed to play due to protocol, Eastmoor’s JV team hung as tough as they could but ended up falling to Independence by 36 points on Friday night as the Sixers picked up an 86-50 league win. 

The Warriors tried to keep it close for as long as they could but the talent of the Sixers was too much to overcome as senior Keshawn Harris led the way for Independence in a road win.

Eastmoor began the game with energy and was aggressive on both ends of the court and even had a lead early on. Coach Alphonso Meadows’ bunch played extremely hard in the first quarter and came away down by three, 20-17, after an Evan Meadows jumper to close the frame. 

After an 11-0 flurry to start the second by the Sixers, El Ross got a layup to cut the lead to 31-19. A stifling defensive performance in the second quarter, holding Eastmoor to only five points, helped the visitors open up a 39-23 lead at halftime. 

Once intermission ended, Eastmoor scored seven early points but they were outdone by the 14 put in by the Sixers to open up a 53-30 lead midway through the third. By the end of the quarter, Independence stretched it to a 70-39 lead. 

The final frame was more of the same story as Geremiah Trotter scored four of his 11 points and Jeremiah Hinkle-Moore added some buckets for the Sixers. The Warrior junior varsity team played their hearts out but Independence was just too much for the young Eastmoor squad as they fell 86-50. 

Sophomore Evan Meadow paced the Warriors with 14 points, followed by junior Traman Hairston and his 13.

Keshawn Harris (6’0 G / 2021 / Independence): Another game, another performance in which Mr. Harris was unselfish and allowed the game to come to him. His game high 24 points, which included 11 in the third, felt natural and easy, getting to the rim at will and finishing through contact as well. He did not settle for bad jumpers, he attacked the small Warrior defense and made them pay with bruising drives to the basket. His leadership was front and center again, despite an early technical foul that felt a little fraudulent, he kept his team in the moment and never let them take an undermanned Warrior team lightly. Harris is a certified playmaker and bonafide bucket getter, a young man to continue watching as this season progresses.

Ibrahima Dia (6’5 F / 2021 / Independence): The long and rangy Dia showed some nice touch around the rim for the Sixers. He is also a real issue in transition with the amount of ground he can cover in the limited amount of steps to do so. He came out in the second half and dominated on the glass, making his height a factor in the game. His defensive motor was non-stop as well, always being around the ball and making shots hard for the Warriors to come by and causing turnovers by inexperienced players.

Tramon Hairston (5’9 G / 2022 / Eastmoor Academy): Nobody told this young man that he was playing as a junior varsity player playing against the varsity, because he had all the confidence in the world when he entered the game. Hairston took it to the Sixers early, scoring six in the first quarter and was able to get in the paint and showed some nice touch around the rim. He added seven more in the third quarter and displayed a nice mid-range jump shot with some room to improve it out the three-point line. The young man who flat out took over football games this season showed his competitive edge in this game.

Evan Meadows (5’8 G / 2023 / Eastmoor Academy): A sentimental favorite of this writer, Meadows played really hard despite some turnovers and was not afraid of the moment. Nailing the buzzer beater at the end of the first quarter gave him some confidence to take more tough shots during the course of the game. Like the entire team, Meadows played his heart out in the loss to the rival Sixers and showed real grit in the process. 

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