Cape girls get ugly victory over CR

Vikings claw way to 17th straight win

Cape senior Ja’Onna Lee splits the Caesar Rodney defense and gets a lay-in for two of her 12 points in the 45-32 victory over the Riders. DAN COOK PHOTOS

Dan Cook

February 15, 2023

Cape coach Patrick Woods didn’t pull any punches when describing the Vikings’ 45-32 victory over Caesar Rodney Feb. 14.

“Ugly wins are better than ugly losses,” said the fifth-year head coach. “We didn’t do much right tonight. I thought we were sloppy, we didn’t shoot well, we didn’t rebound well and we didn’t take care of the ball well. But we made some plays. We got downhill and got some layups eventually.”

Freshman Amalia Fruchtman led the Vikings with 14 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots. Ja’Onna Lee zigzagged through the defense for 12 points while grabbing five rebounds. Hayden Hudson recorded nine rebounds and three blocks. Junior Mya Maull chipped in nine points.

“We came out thinking we were just going to win,” said Lee. “We didn’t have a lot of energy at the beginning of the game, for sure. We were saying in the locker room that it was good we had a game like this tonight rather than down the road. This game will keep us more locked in for the rest of the games.”

Ava Zerrad paced the Riders with nine points.

The Vikings move to 17-2, while the Riders are 7-12.

The Cape and Caesar Rodney teams wear pink in honor of Morgan’s Message. Morgan was a Duke lacrosse player who had her career cut short due to injury. She tried to come back, but her self-esteem fell. She chose to suffer in silence, keeping family and friends in the dark as she battled mental health issues. As a result, Morgan died by suicide July 11, 2019, at age 22. Morgan’s Message, “Taking a Shot at Mental Health,” aims to amplify stories, resources and expertise to strengthen student-athlete mental health, build a community by and for athletes through peer-to-peer conversations, and provide a platform for advocacy. For more info on Morgan’s Message, go to www.morgansmessage.org.