There's no place like home for the Croatan Cougars, who bounced back after a tough loss on the road last Wednesday. They strolled past Swansboro with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 40-26. For Croatan, this counts as revenge for the 30-22 loss the Pirates walked away with the last time they faced one another back in February of 2023.
Croatan found their leader in underclassman Neely McMannen, who scored 16 points along with six steals. It was the first time this season that McMannen scored 15 or more points. Landry Clifton was another key contributor, scoring ten points along with five rebounds and two steals.
Despite the defeat, Swansboro saw an underclassman step up: Addison King scored seven points along with six rebounds and two steals. King has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last three times she's played.
Croatan's victory bumped their record up to 7-8. As for Swansboro, their loss was their fourth straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 5-9.
Croatan will be playing in front of their home fans against the Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Swansboro, they will head out on the road to challenge the Vikings at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. White Oak will be looking to extend their current three-game winning streak.
