Basketball Game Preview: Triton Hawks vs. Pine Forest Trojans

Triton and Pine Forest are an even 4-4 against one another since December of 2019, but not for long. The Triton Hawks will face off against the Pine Forest Trojans at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Triton has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.

Triton took a loss when they played away from home last Saturday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They took down Western Harnett 53-37. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Hawks as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.

Nashara McNeil-Watlington continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines, going 12 of 27 on her way to 30 points and eight rebounds. That makes it six consecutive games in which she has scored at least a third of Triton's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Ja'Niah Smith, who went 5 of 11 on her way to 10 points along with five rebounds and four steals.

Meanwhile, Pine Forest didn't have quite enough to beat Westover on Saturday and fell 29-27. The Trojans have struggled against the Wolverines recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.

Triton pushed their record up to 6-8 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.7 points per game. As for Pine Forest, their loss dropped their record down to 5-7.

Triton came up short against Pine Forest when the teams last played back in February of 2024, falling 44-36. Can Triton avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.