Topsail and New Hanover are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2021, but not for long. The Topsail Pirates will head out to take on the New Hanover Wildcats at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Topsail will be looking to extend their current five-game winning streak.
Last Tuesday, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, Topsail beat Ashley 38-33.
Riley Trimble
| 02/18/25 vs Ashley | 2 |
| 02/13/25 vs Laney | 3 |
| 02/11/25 @ Ashley | 2 |
| 02/07/25 vs South Brunswick | 5 |
Topsail's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Riley Trimble led the charge by almost dropping a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. Trimble has been hot recently, having also posted two or more steals the last four times she's played. Ava Kita was another key player, putting up six points along with eight steals and six boards.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for New Hanover, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Thursday. They enjoyed a cozy 60-45 win over West Brunswick on Tuesday. Given the Wildcats' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 44th, while the Trojans are ranked 270th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Topsail better keep an eye on Brianna Stanley. She was instrumental in New Hanover's win, going 6-for-15 en route to 18 points and five steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Jayla Hayes, who posted nine points and five steals.
New Hanover smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 11 consecutive contests.
Topsail pushed their record up to 19-6 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 28.3 points over those games. As for New Hanover, they are on a roll lately: they've won 12 of their last 15 matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-7 record this season.
Friday's game will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Kita and Stanley. Kita has been dynamite this season: she has averaged 12.5 points, 2.9 steals, and 5.2 rebounds. For her part, Stanley has averaged 13.3 points, 2.6 steals, and 2.6 assists.
Topsail beat New Hanover 64-53 in their previous meeting back in January. The rematch might be a little tougher for Topsail since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
