Cape girls' basketball takes down the Eagles
After losing to a tough Smyrna team 54-51 just three days earlier in the championship of the A.I. du Pont Tip-Off tournament, the Vikings got their revenge, taking a 67-57 victory in the home opener of Henlopen Conference play Dec. 11.
The Vikings won three of the four quarters in the Northern Division contest.
Junior Amalia Fruchtman and senior Faith Re scored 60 of the 67 points in the contest. Fruchtman hit for 37, while Re tallied 23 in the win.
“Instead of backing away like we did the last time, we played them; we stepped up to the competition,” said Re. “We played to our level instead of theirs.”
At times, the game was a knock-down, drag-out contest, getting physical with bodies hitting the floor.
“It was rough’em and tough’em,” said assistant coach Carlin Quinn.
“I think the physical play was pretty fun,” said Fruchtman. “Not all refs let you play like that. They were playing just as hard as we were. We were trying to draw the contact, and they were quite physical.”
Fruchtman’s 37 points, 24 in the paint, a career high, were the most in the Pat Woods coaching era since Dania Cannon tallied 30 in 2020, also against Smyrna.
Re made five of her 23 from behind the three-point line.
Senior Hayden Hudson pulled 13 rebounds, bringing her career total to 465 and moving her into second on the all-time list behind 2022 grad Morgan Mahoney’s 481.
Freshman Mikaela Gordon played intense defense, crashing the boards for four rebounds. She also dished off four assists. Sydney Whetzel came off the bench for quality minutes, while Havyn Greene showed senior leadership on the hardwood. Mya Yngve played consistently on both sides of the ball, dishing off four assists while making two steals.
“We just have to be the way we are,” said Cape head coach Pat Woods. “Don’t change who you are based on how other teams play. Stay composed and execute our stuff. That’s what we did. Smyrna is really athletic, so fast with great instincts.”
The Vikings JV squad took care of business, garnering a 35-12 victory over the Eagles.
Laura Lima led the Vikings JV with 14 points. Jordynn Bowe sank 10 points.
