Laney and Hoggard Boys Basketball: The fourth time’s a charm

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY)–The Laney and Hoggard boys basketball teams are quite familiar with each other already playing one another three times during the season and now there will be a fourth. The Vikings and Buccaneers will meet on Thursday night in the second round of the NCHSAA Class 4A state tournament.

The Hoggard boys are the No.4 seed in the Class 4A playoffs and wouldn’t you know it they get another meeting with Laney. The No.13 seeded Buccaneers advanced to the second round by beating Holly Springs on Tuesday night, 53-39.

“I mean it’s crazy how the brackets worked out, but that’s the way it is in the state tournament,” said Hoggard senior Jackson Massey. “We know them, they know us, it’ll be fun to see them one more time.”

The difference between Thursday night’s meeting and the first three is now its win or go home. Hoggard has controlled the series this year winning all three games. The last match up between the two ended in overtime with the Vikings coming out on top 59-58 in the semifinals of the MEC tournament.

“There is not a whole lot of differences between us and we were fortunate to win the last meeting in overtime,”said Hoggard head coach Brett Queen. “We’re going to have to be really good tomorrow night in order to be able to win.”

The Vikings and Buccaneers will tip-off at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday night at Hoggard High School.