Preview: North Charleston Cougars vs. Hanahan Hawks
North Charleston is 5-0 against Hanahan since January of 2022, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The North Charleston Cougars will play host again and welcome the Hanahan Hawks, where tip off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Hopefully North Charleston is not getting complacent, as they presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Hanahan in South Carolina (North Charleston is ranked 84th, while Hanahan is ranked 202nd).
North Charleston put the finishing touches on their sixth blowout victory of the season on Saturday. They put the hurt on Burke with a sharp 74-48 victory. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory North Charleston has posted since December 15, 2023.
North Charleston got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Marco Simpson out in front who scored ten points along with three steals. Another player making a difference was Onarae Grant, who scored 11 points.
Meanwhile, Hanahan's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their fifth straight loss. They received a tough blow as they fell 50-33 to Beaufort. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Hanahan in their matchups with Beaufort: they've now lost seven in a row.
Jonah Auckenthaler put forth a good effort for the losing side as he dropped a double-double on 15 points and 11 rebounds.
North Charleston pushed their record up to 12-8 with that victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 63.5 points per game. As for Hanahan, they have not been sharp recently, as they've lost eight of their last nine matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-13 record this season.
Everything came up roses for North Charleston against Hanahan in their previous matchup two weeks ago as the squad secured a 60-30 win. With North Charleston ahead 35-10 at the half, the matchup was all but over already.
