Cape unified basketball team falls to Jays 40-22
The Cape unified basketball team played a tough, solid game with a fast and physical Seaford squad during the Morgan’s Message contest held Jan. 18 on the Cape hardwood. When the final buzzer sounded, the Blue Jays had taken a 40-22 victory back to their nest.
Zane Richardson paced the Vikings with five points. Connor Pencek and Jerome Kochinsky each tallied four. Alejandro Alvarez, Sara Davis, Vlad Ticala and Aiden Wells hit for a bucket each. Noah Ryan hit a foul shot.
“I love playing this game with all of my friends,” said Davis. “The best part is making new friends from the other teams from different schools.”
The game gave the players some bumps and bruises, as Cape guard Noah Ryan took a few blows to the head during the second quarter.
“I had a few unintentional elbows get me during the game,” he said. “It was a tough, hard-fought match. Hopefully it will get us ready for the next game and then the next. Hopefully we’ll do well enough to get us into the playoffs.”
Cape moves to 0-3 with five games remaining. But scoring points isn’t on the mind of some unified partners.
“I’ve never scored a point in my career on the unified team,” said senior Isaiah Magathan. “It doesn’t matter to me. It’s just so much fun to play with my teammates.”
“The game was a little more physical than usual,” said Cape coach Katie Collick. “Our kids picked up the action, and I think it’s going to give us a little more fire and passion on the court.”
Rudolf Desrosier led the Jays with 12 points.
The Vikings travel to Caesar Rodney Tuesday, Jan. 23, for a rematch with the Riders.
Morgan’s Message is named for 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 information on Morgan’s Message, go to morgansmessage.org.
