vs
| 01/28/25 - Away | 53-64 L |
| 12/10/24 - Home | 57-41 W |
| 01/30/24 - Home | 49-38 W |
| 12/12/23 - Away | 56-52 W |
| 02/03/23 - Away | 37-55 L |
| + 5 more games |
New Hanover is on a three-game streak of home wins, while Topsail is on a four-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The New Hanover Wildcats will challenge the Topsail Pirates at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are at an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2021, but likely not for long.
Last Tuesday, New Hanover didn't have too much trouble with West Brunswick as they won 60-45. Given the Wildcats' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 44th, while the Trojans are ranked 270th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Brianna Stanley was her usual excellent self, going 6-for-15 to rack up 18 points and five steals. Another player making a difference was Jayla Hayes, who posted nine points and five steals.
New Hanover smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 11 consecutive games.
Meanwhile, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, Topsail beat Ashley 38-33 on Tuesday. The victory continues a trend for the Pirates in their matchups with the Screaming Eagle: they've now won three in a row.
Topsail's win came from a few key players New Hanover will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Riley Trimble, who almost dropped a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. She has been hot recently, having also posted two or more steals the last four times she's played. Ava Kita was another key player, putting up six points in addition to eight steals and six boards.
Topsail's win bumped their record up to 19-6. As for New Hanover, they have been performing well recently as they've won 12 of their last 15 matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-7 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: New Hanover has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Topsail 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.
New Hanover came up short against Topsail when the teams last played back in January, falling 64-53. Will New Hanover have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.
