Preview: Hayesville Yellowjackets vs. Nantahala Hawks
Hayesville is 10-0 against Nantahala since December of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Wednesday. Having just played yesterday, the Hayesville Yellowjackets will get right back to it and host the Nantahala Hawks at 7:30 p.m. on January 24th. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
Hayesville unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Tuesday. They fell 58-50 to Andrews. While losing is never fun, Hayesville can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 465th, while Andrews is ranked 221st).
Meanwhile, Nantahala's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Wednesday after their sixth straight loss. They were outmatched by Swain County at home and fell 91-38. Nantahala was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 58-29.
Dylan Baldwin put forth a good effort for the losing side as he scored 16 points along with nine rebounds and two steals. That's the first time this season that he pulled down eight or more rebounds. Another player making a difference was Chase McMahan, who scored four points along with three blocks.
Hayesville's loss dropped their record down to 10-7. As for Nantahala, they dropped their record down to 3-9 with that loss, which was their fifth straight at home.
Everything came up roses for Hayesville against Nantahala in their previous matchup back in December of 2023 as the team secured a 76-29 victory. Will Hayesville repeat their success, or does Nantahala have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
