Basketball Recap: Dynamic Duo of Layla Shearin and Neely Mcmannen Lead Croatan to Victory

Croatan put another one in the bag on Tuesday to keep their perfect season alive. Everything went their way against the East Carteret Mariners as the Croatan Cougars made off with a 54-30 win. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory the Cougars have posted against the Mariners since February 13, 2020.

Croatan was led to victory by Neely McMannen and Layla Shearin. McMannen dropped a double-double on 13 points and 11 steals, while Shearin went 6 for 9 on her way to 17 points in addition to seven rebounds and six steals. Those 11 steals gave McMannen a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Hannah Buchan, who posted eight points in addition to five assists and four steals.

Croatan's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 3-0. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 26.3 points per game. As for East Carteret, their defeat ended a five-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 0-2.

Croatan wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next match, a 52-25 victory against Cape Hatteras on the 6th. As for East Carteret, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next game, a 38-25 loss against Havelock on the 4th.