Cape challenges Hudson Catholic in final Slam Dunk game
Up against a New Jersey powerhouse boasting at least five Division I prospects, an undersized Cape Henlopen boys’ basketball team acquitted itself well in a 50-40 loss to Hudson Catholic Dec. 29 at Slam Dunk to the Beach.
The Vikings stood toe to toe with the Hawks, pulling ahead several times and trailing by just four points with five minutes left in the fourth quarter. Hudson Catholic freshman forward Antonio Sellers denied the Vikings’ upset bid with two key buckets down the stretch, including a dagger three-pointer at the 4:18 mark. The Hawks put the game away at the free-throw line and sent Cape to its second defeat in three days, but head coach Steve Re was pleased with the Vikings’ effort.
“I’m extremely proud of the effort and the energy that our guys had,” said Re, whose squad overcame size disadvantages at every position to compete with one of the Garden State’s premier programs. “We got [Hudson Catholic] out of some of their [offensive sets] and stayed with it the whole game. We controlled the pace [and] executed very well. Hudson Catholic’s just so big that it’s hard to finish against that size.”
The 6-foot-5 Sellers scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Hudson Catholic, which used its superior size and strength to bully Cape underneath. The Hawks outmuscled the Vikings 32-19 on the glass and outscored them 20-10 in the paint.
Cape was paced by junior wing Sh’Kai Chandler, who scored 13 points, pulled down six boards, and hit his first three-pointer of the season.
“We weren’t afraid of [Hudson Catholic’s] size,” said Chandler. “We attacked, were strong with the ball, and trusted each other.”
Sophomore guard Ja’Vaughn Burton added 10 points and two three-pointers for the Vikings (3-3, 2-1 Henlopen North), while sophomore forward Ethan Pires drained three long-balls on the way to nine points and pulled down five rebounds. Cape also got six points, three assists, and four steals from jet-quick junior guard Kris Rushin.
Cape took a 17-15 lead when Pires hit a three-pointer from the right wing with 7:20 left in the second period, but Hudson Catholic responded with a 10-0 run and maintained a lead of at least three points the rest of the way.
The Vikings return to action Wednesday, Jan. 2, when they host Sussex Tech. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:15 p.m.
