Boys basketball
Ashley 63 South Brunswick 62
Three players finished in double figures for Ashley as the Screaming Eagles squeaked out a 63-62 victory over South Brunswick on Friday night to remain tied for first-place in conference.
Altavon Mack had 16 points to pace the garnet and gold. Jiques Migrant added 14 points and Jordan Lopez chipped in with 12. Ashley trailed by seven at the break and cut the deficit to five, 44-39, moving into the fourth quarter.
Lopez knocked down three treys in the final eight minutes and finished with four baskets from downtown. Daitreon Daye scored six of eight points during the decisive fourth quarter push.
Brandon Gonzales, Kareem Randolph and Jace McKenney scored 13 points apiece to lead South Brunswick, but the Cougars were outscored 24-18 during the final stanza.
Ashley is 5-1 in league play and 11-6 overall.
Ashley 10-11-18-24=63
S. Brunswick 14-14-16-18=62
New Hanover 68 West Brunswick 64
New Hanover put in a gritty effort on the road Friday night and grabbed a 68-64 triumph against West Brunswick. Ramello Williams sank a game-high 28 points on 13-of-22 from the field, with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.
The back-and-forth affair saw the Wildcats go ahead by eight midway through the second quarter before Khalil Bland knocked down a three-pointer at the buzzer to cap a 9-2 run as West Brunswick made it a two possession game, 36-30, at the break.
Freddie Taylor put in 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including a perfect 5-for-5 from beyond the arc. Taylor scored 11 of his 17 points in the final frame. Jalen Anderson hit two treys and finished with 10 points to give New Hanover three players in double figures.
The Wildcats led 47-43 moving into the fourth quarter and held on during the final eight minutes of regulation to move ahead of West Brunswick (4-2, 12-4) in the conference standings. The Trojans were 14-of-17 from the charity stripe. Bland had a team-high 20 points. Bryce Ahrens hit three shots from long range during the fourth quarter and finished with 15 points. Josh Woodard added 12, while Brandyn Parker contributed 11.
New Hanover moved to 5-1 in league play and 14-4 overall, creating a two-way tie with Ashley for to spot in the division. West Brunswick dropped to 4-2 in conference and 12-4 overall.
New Hanover 13-23-11-21=68
W. Brunswick 11-19-14-21=64
Hoggard 59 Topsail 43
Tyler Steinman knocked down a game-high 16 points on Friday night as Hoggard built an early lead thanks to a big effort on both ends of the floor en route to a 59-43 result against Topsail.
Steinman’s points came on five field goals and two baskets from beyond the arc. Robert Wilkerson added 11 points and Greg Blanks chipped in with eight. The Vikings went 7-for-10 from the free throw line.
Hoggard carried a seven point advantage after the opening period and used a 10-3 run to start the second quarter. Patrick Morrison pushed the cushion to 29-14 on his second field goal of the game just before the break.
Alec Baker poured in a game-high 22 points for Topsail and Johnny Tartaglione added 8. The Pirates fell to 0-7 in conference following their five straight set back.
With the win, the Vikings grabbed a regular season sweep over Topsail. Hoggard improved their record to 4-2 in conference and 10-6 overall heading into a key conference game against New Hanover on Tuesday, Jan. 17.
Hoggard 13-16-11-19=59
Topsail 6-8-12-17=43
Cape Fear Academy 59 Fayetteville Christian 53
Wilmington Christian 62 Hilltop Christian 62
Girls basketball
Hoggard 35 Topsail 28
The Vikings overcame a three-point halftime deficit to secure its 12th consecutive victory as Hoggard rallied past Topsail, 35-28, to remain unbeaten inside league play.
Keeley Britt led the way with a season-high 10 points on 5-of-13 shooting. The Vikings went just 2-for-18 from beyond the arc, but hit 9-of-13 attempts at the foul line. Angel Smith pulled down seven rebounds in the winning effort, while Alani Fisher chipped in with nine points.
Hoggard moved to 6-0 atop the conference standings and 15-1 overall. First place in the division will be up for grabs when the Vikings return to the floor against New Hanover (6-0, 15-2) on Tuesday, Jan. 17.
New Hanover 73 West Brunswick 40
New Hanover kept pace with Hoggard for the division lead on Friday night as the Wildcats rolled to a 73-40 result over West Brunswick in Shallotte. New Hanover stands at 6-0 in conference and 15-2 overall as winners of eight straight.
South Brunswick 61 Ashley 26
North Brunswick 65 Dixon 29
Taylor Perkins led all scorers with 28 points to guide North Brunswick in a 65-29 win against Dixon. The Scorpions are 3-0 in conference and 13-2 overall.
Fayetteville Christian 61 Cape Fear Academy 35
Wilmington Christian 57 Hilltop Christian 47
