Dixon has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will challenge the Swansboro Pirates at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Dixon has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.
Dixon pushed their score all the way to 69 two weeks ago, but even that wasn't enough to win. The contest between Dixon and Croatan wasn't particularly close, with Dixon falling 86-69. While losing is never fun, Dixon can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 511th, while Croatan is ranked 132nd).
Despite their loss, Dixon saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Cooper Tozier, who scored 16 points along with six rebounds and five assists, was perhaps the best of all. Brayden Anderson-Sidbury was another key contributor, scoring 12 points along with nine rebounds and four steals.
Meanwhile, Swansboro had already won 13 in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 22.2 points), and they went ahead and made it 14 on Friday. They strolled past West Carteret with points to spare, taking the game 76-59. Having run the score up that high, both teams probably have some extra defensive drills coming up.
Jonah Holt was his usual excellent self, dropping a double-double on 29 points and 13 rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points he has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Tayvion Tangiora, who scored 18 points along with seven rebounds.
Dixon's loss ended a four-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 6-9. As for Swansboro, they pushed their record up to 15-1 with that win, which was their fifth straight at home.
Wednesday's match will pit two of the most dominant against one another: Anderson-Sidbury and Holt. Anderson-Sidbury has been dynamite this season: he has averaged 9.6 points, 1.2 blocks, and 9.5 rebounds. For his part, Holt has averaged 17.1 points, 1.9 steals, and 9.2 rebounds.
Dixon took a serious blow against Swansboro when the teams last played back in February of 2023, falling 85-44. The matchup was all but decided by halftime, at which point Dixon was down 41-20.
