2022 Hoggard Holiday Classic Girls Preview
Daily Schedule
Tuesday, December 27
1:30 p.m.: Laney (6-4) vs. James Kenan (1-4) in James Hebbe Gym
3 p.m.: New Hanover (4-2) vs. Cox Mill (6-4) in Sheila Boles Gym
4:30 p.m.: Topsail (8-2) vs. Western Alamance (8-1) in James Hebbe Gym
6 p.m.: Hoggard (9-1) vs. Heritage (7-4) in Sheila Boles Gym
7:30 p.m.: Ashley (6-0) vs. Western Guilford (2-5) in James Hebbe Gym
Wednesday, December 28
Noon: Topsail vs. James Kenan in Sheila Boles Gym
1:30 p.m.: Ashley vs. East Bladen (8-0) in James Hebbe Gym
3 p.m.: Laney vs. Western Guilford in Sheila Boles Gym
4:30 p.m.: Heritage vs. Northern Guilford (9-0) in James Hebbe Gym
6 p.m.: Hoggard vs. Cox Mill in Sheila Boles Gym
7:30 p.m.: New Hanover vs. Western Alamance in James Hebbe Gym
Thursday, December 29
10:30 a.m.: Topsail vs. Western Guilford in James Hebbe Gym
Noon: Ashley vs. Heritage in Sheila Boles Gym
1:30 p.m.: Cox Mill vs. Western Alamance in James Hebbe Gym
3 p.m.: New Hanover vs. James Kenan in Sheila Boles Gym
4:30 p.m.: Hoggard vs. Northern Guilford in Sheila Boles Gym
6 p.m.: Laney vs. East Bladen in James Hebbe Gym
Tournament Notes and Stats
State championship contenders
The event features several teams with realistic state championship aspirations.
East Bladen (2A) and Northern Guilford (4A) enter with unbeaten records a year after reaching the fourth round of the playoffs.
Hoggard, which reached the third round of the 4A playoffs a season ago, is off to a 9-1 start. The Vikings will take on Northern Guilford at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the marquee matchup of the week.
Chasing 1,000 career points
Hoggard’s Laney Scoggins enters this week 46 points shy of 1,000 for her career.
Hoggard’s Laney Scoggins. [Tim Hower/Coastal Preps]
Team points per game
Western Alamance: 59.7
East Bladen: 58.6
Northern Guilford: 58.1
Hoggard: 58.0
Cox Mill: 55.7
Topsail: 52.9
Western Guilford: 50.4
Laney: 49.8
Ashley: 49.5
New Hanover: 48.3
Heritage: 40.5
James Kenan: 37.6
Team points per game against
Hoggard: 24.5
Northern Guilford: 25.8
East Bladen: 31.8
Ashley: 33.0
Laney: 35.0
Topsail: 36.9
Heritage: 37.0
New Hanover: 37.0
Western Alamance: 44.9
Western Guilford: 48.0
Cox Mill: 51.1
James Kenan: 52.0
15 players to watch
Sophomore guard Tina Bowers, Western Alamance: The Warriors are off to an 8-1 start thanks in large part to Bowers, who was averaging a team-best 14.7 points and 9.3 rebounds through seven games.
Senior guard Carolina Coria, Topsail: Area leader in steals per game at 5.9, Coria is also a great offensive player. She enters the event averaging 10.2 points and 4.3 assists. Coria is shooting 44 percent (37 of 85) from the field.
Topsail’s Carolina Coria. [Tim Hower/Coastal Preps]
Sophomore forward Lauren Farrell, Cox Mill: The 5-foot-10 forward has seen her production increase in her second season at the varsity level. Farrell is nearly averaging a double-double (11.8 points and 9.2 rebounds) and shooting 48 percent (47 of 98) from the field.
Junior guard Jasmine Harris, Northern Guilford: Harris is already generating interest from Division I programs and it will surely continue to grow. A terrific two-way player, Harris is averaging 14.7 points and 4.2 steals for the unbeaten Nighthawks, who look like a serious 4A state championship contender.
Northern Guilford’s Jasmine Harris. [Tim Hower/Coastal Preps]
Senior guard Lilah Johnson, Topsail: Johnson is one of the area’s top shooters. Through nine games, she had made 10 of her 25 3-point attempts. Johnson was averaging a team-high 11.2 points, 3.4 steals, 3.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
Junior guard Mackenzie Morton, Ashley: Leads the Screaming Eagles at 15 points per game while also shooting 49 percent (34 of 69) from the field. Morton has knocked down 12 of her 29 3-pointers and is 10 of 14 from the free throw line.
Ashley’s Mackenzie Morton. [Tim Hower/Coastal Preps]
Sr. forward Jadyn Newsome, Northern Guilford: Newsome has been a solid contributor for four years. She currently has 814 points, so reaching 1,000 is certainly possible if the Knighthawks can make another deep playoff run. Newsome is averaging 12.3 points and shooting 51 percent (46 of 90) from the field.
Senior guard Jada Simpson, Laney: Area leader in points per game at 16.9. Simpson doesn’t need much space to get off her shot. She’s hitting on 37 percent (33 of 89) of her 3-point attempts through 10 games.
Sophomore forward Laila Smith, East Bladen: The Eagles always seem to have a dominant player and that’s no different this year. Smith is averaging a double-double with 20.6 points and 10 rebounds. She scored a career-high 30 points on 10 of 16 shooting in a win over Whiteville on Dec. 2.
Freshman guard Brianna Stanley, Ashley: Stanley has reached double figures in each of the past four games, including a career-high 23-point performance in a 44-38 win over New Hanover on Dec. 13. She is averaging 13.5 points, 3.8 steals, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
Senior forward Lexi Steed, Hoggard: Steed has a great motor and she’s often rewarded for her hustle, especially in transition. She’s shooting a remarkable 68.3 percent (41 of 60) from the field and averaging 9.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.2 steals.
Junior guard Tirema Vereen, New Hanover: Has been the Wildcats’ most efficient offensive player so far this season. Vereen is shooting 50 percent (19 of 38) from the field and averaging a team-high 10 points.
