Basketball Recap: East Carteret Takes a Loss

East Carteret was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their sixth straight defeat dating back to last season. They were outmatched by the Croatan Cougars and fell 63-22. While losing is never fun, the Mariners can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 429th, while the Cougars are ranked 70th).

Croatan's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Neely McMannen, who posted 12 points along with seven assists and six steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Layla Shearin, who went 5 of 9 en route to 13 points along with five assists and four steals.

East Carteret's loss dropped their record down to 0-5. As for Croatan, the win keeps them at an undefeated 6-0.

East Carteret will have a little extra prep time after the defeat as they won't be playing again for a while. They'll take on Bear Grass Charter at 2:00 p.m. on December 27th. After both having extra time off, Croatan and Southside will dust off their jerseys to challenge one another at 6:00 p.m. on January 3, 2025.