Two dominant guards in Quinn Bentley and Rhett Britt are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Ashley Screaming Eagle will take on the Topsail Pirates at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Ashley is headed into Tuesday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their third straight game on Saturday. They were three points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 64-61 heartbreaker at the hands of South Lenoir. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Screaming Eagle have suffered since February 20, 2024.
| 01/18/25 vs South Lenoir | 23 |
| 02/09/24 vs Hoggard | 22 |
| 01/10/24 @ West Brunswick | 21 |
| 01/07/25 vs West Brunswick | 16 |
| 01/09/25 @ New Hanover | 19 |
Despite the loss, Ashley had strong showings from Bentley, who went 9 for 21 en route to 23 points, and Keyon Jones, who went 9 of 12 on his way to 18 points and seven rebounds. That's the most points Bentley has posted since back in February of 2024. Nate Jarrell was another key player, putting up eight points.
Meanwhile, Topsail was just a bucket shy of victory on Friday and fell 72-71 to North Brunswick. The Pirates have struggled against the Scorpions recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive lost matchup.
Ashley will need focus on slowing down Britt, one of several Topsail players who made an impact when they last played. He dropped a double-double on 23 points and ten boards. Another player making a difference was Duron Vaughn, who almost dropped a double-double on 23 points and nine rebounds.
Ashley's defeat dropped their record down to 6-10. As for Topsail, they now have a losing record at 7-8.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Ashley has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 26.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Topsail struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Ashley strolled past Topsail in their previous meeting back in February of 2024 by a score of 81-64. Does Ashley have another victory up their sleeve, or will Topsail turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
