Swansboro hasn't had much luck against Jacksonville recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Swansboro Pirates will be home for the holidays to greet the Jacksonville Cardinals at 6:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Swansboro is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They took their matchup on Thursday with ease, bagging a 61-21 win over Lejeune. The victory was familiar territory for the Pirates who have now won four games in a row.
| 11/17/23 vs Pamlico County | 4 |
| 12/22/23 @ East Carteret | 3 |
| 12/12/24 @ Lejeune | 2 |
| 12/01/23 vs Northside - Jacksonville | 2 |
| 11/30/23 vs Southwest Onslow | 2 |
Swansboro got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Gianna Fandino out in front who posted 19 points and five steals. What's more, Fandino also racked up two assists, the most she's had since back in December of 2023. Another player making a difference was Kendall Hackworth, who went 6 of 12 on her way to 13 points and seven steals.
Swansboro smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 33 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in five consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, the third road matchup was the charm for Jacksonville, as they earned their first road win of the season. They strolled past White Oak with points to spare on Tuesday, taking the game 70-51. With that victory, the Cardinals brought their scoring average up to 53.4 points per game.
Swansboro better keep an eye on Kelize Velez-Galan. She was instrumental in Jacksonville's win, going 12 of 18 on her way to 34 points in addition to five rebounds and five steals. That makes it three consecutive games in which Velez-Galan has scored at least a third of Jacksonville's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Izabella Hernandez, who had ten points.
Swansboro's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 5-3. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 27.3 points per game. As for Jacksonville, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Swansboro has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 40.2 boards per game. However, it's not like Jacksonville struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.4 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Swansboro came up short against Jacksonville in their previous meeting back in February of 2021, falling 45-35. Can Swansboro avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
