The Nantahala Hawks's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their fifth straight loss. They were beaten by Cherokee 68-30. Nantahala was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 49-19.
Nantahala's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Jacen Carver, who scored two points along with six rebounds, and Cole McCoy who dropped a double-double on 12 points and ten rebounds.
Elijah Lineberry continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines for Cherokee, scoring 17 points. Traelin Carey was another key contributor, scoring 11 points.
Nantahala's defeat was their fourth straight at home, which bumped their record down to 3-8. That rough patch could be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 29.0 points per game. As for Cherokee, they now have a winning record of 7-6.
Nantahala will look to defend their home court on Wednesday against Swain County at 7:30 p.m. One thing working in Swain County's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last six games. As for Cherokee, they will head out on the road to challenge Highlands at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Highlands has now lost eight straight, and the team is hunting for their first win since December 4.
