Basketball Recap: North Charleston Takes Loss Despite Strong Performances from Marco Simpson and Richard Hazel III

North Charleston lost against James Island back in December of 2016 and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Tuesday. The North Charleston Cougars took a 57-49 hit to the loss column at the hands of the James Island Trojans. While the Cougars didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Trojans 13-9 in the first quarter.

North Charleston's loss came despite strong showings from Richard Hazel III and Marco Simpson. Hazel III posted 13 points and eight boards, while Simpson went 6 of 15 on his way to 17 points. That's the most points Simpson has posted since back in December of 2023. The team also got some help courtesy of Michael Jordan, who put up four points and three steals.

Even though they lost, North Charleston smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 14 offensive rebounds in three consecutive matches.

It was another big night for Gavin Ward, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and ten rebounds for James Island. The game was Ward's fourth in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Matthew Gladden, who had ten points and eight rebounds.

North Charleston's loss dropped their record down to 3-3. As for James Island, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 3-2.

North Charleston didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 65-47 win against Stall on the 13th. As for James Island, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next match, a 49-36 victory against Oceanside Collegiate Academy on the 13th.