Hoggard is 10-0 against New Hanover since January of 2019, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Hoggard Vikings will be playing at home against the New Hanover Wildcats at 6:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Hoggard had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 21.5 points), and they went ahead and made it three on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Topsail with a sharp 58-37 win. Given Hoggard's advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina basketball rankings (they are ranked 20th, while Topsail is ranked 164th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Sarah Elgart, who scored 22 points along with eight rebounds and four steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points she has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Tristan Shivers, who scored nine points along with nine assists and two steals.
New Hanover posted their biggest win since December 5, 2023 on Wednesday. They claimed a resounding 65-31 win over North Brunswick at home. The victory made it back-to-back wins for New Hanover.
New Hanover's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Justine McCague, who scored 12 points along with three steals, and Tamorie Wilson, who scored 17 points along with two steals. Brianna Stanley was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with six rebounds.
Hoggard's win bumped their record up to 13-1. As for New Hanover, they pushed their record up to 10-2 with that victory, which was their sixth straight at home.
Friday's game is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Hoggard have been dynamite from deep this season, having nailed 45.6% of their threes per game. It's a different story for New Hanover, though, as they've only made 31.8% of their threes per game this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything came up roses for Hoggard against New Hanover in their previous meeting back in February of 2023 as the squad secured a 59-16 victory. Does Hoggard have another victory up their sleeve, or will New Hanover turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
