Nashara McNeil-Watlington leads a balanced attack to beat Western Harnett

By Team Reports Jan 25, 2024, 10:13am

Recap: Triton Hawks vs. Western Harnett Eagles

The Triton Hawks won the last time they faced the Western Harnett Eagles, and things went their way on Wednesday too. Triton strolled past Western Harnett with points to spare, taking the game 41-23. Given Triton's advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 215th, while Western Harnett is ranked 469th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Triton's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Nashara McNeil-Watlington led the charge by scoring 18 points along with three steals. McNeil-Watlington has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last three times she's played. Ja'Niah Smith was another key contributor, scoring nine points along with three steals.

The win makes it two in a row for Triton and bumps their season record up to 11-6. As for Western Harnett, they dropped their record down to 3-12 with that loss, which was their tenth straight at home.

Triton will head out on the road to challenge E.E. Smith at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Western Harnett, they the luxury of staying home another game and will welcome Harnett Central at 6:00 p.m. on January 26th. Harnett Central is coming into the match on a three-game losing streak.