Basketball Recap: Croatan Extends Home Winning Streak to Five

Croatan won the last time they faced White Oak and things went their way on Friday too. The Croatan Cougars managed a 50-44 victory over the White Oak Vikings. Given the Cougars' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 177th, while the Vikings are ranked 423rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Croatan's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Neely McMannen led the charge by putting up 15 points in addition to seven rebounds and three steals. The matchup was McMannen's third in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Leah Johnson, who posted eight points along with seven boards and six blocks.

Despite the loss, White Oak had strong showings from Sidney Ferguson, who put up 17 points, and Zamarah Rawls, who had 13 points. That's the most points Rawls has posted since back in January of 2024.

Croatan's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 8-1. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 29.2 points per game. As for White Oak, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-8.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. A feisty cat fight is on tap when the Croatan Cougars face off against the Richlands Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for White Oak, they will challenge Dixon at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday.