Basketball Game Preview: Charlotte Catholic Cougars vs. East Mecklenburg Eagles

The Charlotte Catholic Cougars will take on the East Mecklenburg Eagles at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Charlotte Catholic has three straight wins, East Mecklenburg has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the court.

East Mecklenburg better have a healthy lead at halftime, because if last week is any indication, that's when Charlotte Catholic really get things going. Charlotte Catholic was the clear victor by a 75-54 margin over Butler on Thursday. The Cougars have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six matchups by 20 points or more this season.

Charlotte Catholic's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Chris Eagan, who went 8 of 9 en route to 18 points and five rebounds. Eagan is trending in the right direction considering he's improved his point production for three straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of King Rhodes, who posted 14 points and eight rebounds.

Meanwhile, East Mecklenburg lost a heartbreaker to Independence when they met back in February of 2024, and they left with a heavy heart again on Thursday. East Mecklenburg came up short against Independence, falling 70-44. While losing is never fun, the Eagles can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 137th, while the Patriots are ranked 30th).

East Mecklenburg's defeat dropped their record down to 8-6. As for Charlotte Catholic, their win bumped their record up to 13-3.

Charlotte Catholic beat East Mecklenburg 58-51 in their previous matchup back in February of 2024. Does Charlotte Catholic have another victory up their sleeve, or will East Mecklenburg turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.