Topsail and New Hanover are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2021, but not for long. After both having extra time off, both will shake off the cobwebs and challenge one another at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Topsail comes in on three and New Hanover on five.
Last Friday, Topsail earned a 40-27 win over North Brunswick. Given the Pirates' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 123rd, while the Scorpions are ranked 390th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Among those leading the charge was Riley Trimble, who went 6 of 11 en route to 16 points in addition to six rebounds and five steals. She is trending in the right direction considering she's improved her point production for three straight games. Another player making a difference was Ava Kita, who posted 14 points and four steals.
Topsail smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 12 offensive rebounds in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when New Hanover challenged South Brunswick last Friday. New Hanover was the clear victor by a 61-39 margin over South Brunswick. The score was all tied up 28-28 at the break, but the Wildcats were the (much) better team in the second half.
New Hanover's win came from a few key players Topsail will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Brianna Stanley, who had 12 points along with six boards and four steals. That's the most rebounds she has posted since back in January of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Zirhe Sellers, who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and nine boards.
Topsail is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 11-5 record this season. As for New Hanover, their victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 11-4.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Topsail has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 32.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like New Hanover struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Topsail ended up a good deal behind New Hanover in their previous meeting back in December of 2024, losing 57-41. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Stanley, who went 6 for 12 on her way to 16 points and five assists. Now that Topsail knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.
