Preview: New Hanover Wildcats vs. Hoggard Vikings
New Hanover is 0-10 against Hoggard since January of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The New Hanover Wildcats will head out on the road to face off against the Hoggard Vikings at 6:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
New Hanover posted their biggest victory since December 5, 2023 on Wednesday. They claimed a resounding 65-31 win over North Brunswick at home. Given New Hanover's advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 49th, while North Brunswick is ranked 276th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
New Hanover's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Justine McCague, who scored 12 points along with three steals, and Tamorie Wilson, who scored 17 points along with two steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points McCague has scored all season. Brianna Stanley was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with six rebounds.
Meanwhile, Hoggard waltzed into their matchup on Wednesday with two straight wins but they left with three. They put the hurt on Topsail with a sharp 58-37 victory. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory Hoggard has posted against Topsail since January 6, 2021.
It was another big night for Sarah Elgart, who scored 22 points along with eight rebounds and four steals. She has been hot recently, having posted eight or more rebounds the last three times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Tristan Shivers, who scored nine points along with nine assists and two steals.
New Hanover's win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-2. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 59.2 points per game. As for Hoggard, their win bumped their record up to 13-1.
Friday's game will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Wilson and Shivers. Wilson has been dynamite this season: she has averaged 11.2 points, 2.8 steals, and 3.2 assists. For her part, Shivers has averaged 14.6 points, 3.4 steals, and 7.5 assists.
New Hanover took a serious blow against Hoggard in their previous matchup back in February of 2023, falling 59-16. Can New Hanover avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
