Cape boys hang with Delcastle in season-ending setback
The 2019-20 season has seen more trials than triumphs for the Cape Henlopen boys’ basketball team, but the Vikings closed out the campaign with flashes of promise in a 61-42 setback at Delcastle Feb. 18 in Wilmington.
Yes, the Vikings surrendered 24 points, 14 rebounds, six steals and four dunks to Odunayo Ogunbo, the Cougars’ 6-foot-8 senior center. That stat line was almost a foregone conclusion, as Ogunbo has long been considered one of the state’s most talented big men. As a sophomore two years ago against a loaded Cape squad, he palmed – not blocked – a Randy Rickards lay-up attempt clean out of the air.
Yes, the Vikings were outmuscled 37-17 on the glass and gave up countless easy put-backs. That was to be expected against a Delcastle starting five that enjoyed height advantages at every position and featured two 6-foot-5 wings alongside Ogunbo.
What Cape didn’t count on was a breakout night from freshman point guard Drew Zimmerman, who scored a career-high 12 points and knocked down three long three-pointers. Junior guard Nate Sivels was another pleasant surprise, pouring in a season-best 10 points, hitting a pair of threes and wowing with his quickness. The Vikings also got eight points and two long-balls from foul-hampered junior off-guard Ja’Vaughn Burton and an efficient four-point, five-board night off the bench from freshman forward Dylan Fannin. Best of all, they competed hard and stuck close to the 15-4 Cougars for a half.
All the aforementioned players will return to the Cape lineup next year, and that group could develop into something dangerous if its effort at Delcastle is any indication.
After the Cougars ran off 12 unanswered points to take an 18-10 lead early in the second quarter, the undermanned Vikings responded with a 12-5 spurt of their own, pulling within one point, 23-22, on a 17-footer from Sivels a minute before the break. Cape, playing without two starters and a key reserve, went to the locker room down just a deuce to a team that hopes to make a deep run in the upcoming DIAA state tourney. Although Delcastle used its size to create separation in the second half, the Vikings showed heart and resilience that will serve them well in the years to come.
Head coach Shemik Thompson had nothing but praise for his team.
“They played hard,” Thompson said after wrapping up his first year at the helm of Cape hoops. “To play that team close for two quarters was great. For our young guys to get a lot of playing time was excellent. This is something that we can build on. At any given moment on the court, we had lineups with two juniors, two freshmen, some sophomores … Games like today will make us better in the long run.”
Zimmerman was just as optimistic.
“We came out confident, played together as a team and swung the ball around to get open buckets,” Zimmerman said. “If we stick together and have faith in each other, we can go a long way next year.”
Sivels saw the loss as a step forward.
“We slowed the ball down a little bit, swung the ball a lot more than usual and actually ran our sets today,” he said. “We got a lot of open shots even though they were big.”
The Vikings finished the season with a 6-13 record and went 5-9 in Henlopen North play.
