Preview: Ashley Screaming Eagle vs. Topsail Pirates
After two games on the road, Ashley is heading back home. They will take on the Topsail Pirates at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Ashley has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.
Ashley posted their biggest victory since November 21, 2023 on Friday. They claimed a resounding 48-19 victory over North Brunswick on the road. With Ashley ahead 30-8 at the half, the match was all but over already.
Ashley can attribute much of their success to Bella Cook, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and 11 rebounds, and MacKenzie Morton, who scored 19 points along with four steals. That makes it six consecutive games in which Morton has scored at least a third of Ashley's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Anna Benfield, who scored two points along with 11 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Topsail's game on Friday was all tied up 15-15 at the half, but luckily for them it didn't stay that way. They came out on top against Laney by a score of 48-40. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Topsail.
Topsail found their leader in underclassman Charley Moore, who scored 17 points along with three steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Moore has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Emmy Clark, who scored 12 points along with five rebounds.
Ashley's victory bumped their record up to 9-6. As for Topsail, they pushed their record up to 10-6 with that win, which was their third straight at home.
Keep an eye on the arc in Tuesday's match: Ashley have been dynamite from deep this season, having only made 33.3% of their threes per game. It's a different story for Topsail, though, as they've only made 29.7% of their threes per game this season. Given Ashley's sizeable advantage in that area, Topsail will need to find a way to close that gap.
Ashley came up short against Topsail when the teams last played back in February of 2023, falling 63-50. Thankfully for Ashley, Carolina Coria (who scored 18 points along with two steals) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
