Vikings make strides in 75-52 loss to Dover
After it suffered a 57-point drubbing at the hands of New York powerhouse St. Raymond in its Slam Dunk to the Beach opener Dec. 27 – possibly the biggest blowout in program history – the Cape Henlopen boys’ basketball team had nowhere to go but up. The Vikings had shot a paltry 33 percent and committed 33 turnovers in that game, getting mercy-ruled in their own gym. Those ghastly numbers set the bar low for Cape’s Dec. 29 matchup with Henlopen Conference rival Dover, but the Vikings cleared it comfortably, putting up a fight against last year’s state tournament finalists in a 75-52 setback.
Senior guard Elijah Allen scored 13 of his game-high 19 points in the third quarter and sank three shots from beyond the arc for the Senators (7-1, 5-0 Henlopen North), who secured a 16-6 lead in the opening five minutes and were never seriously threatened thereafter. Dover also got 14 points on 5-for-7 shooting and nine rebounds from 6-foot-5 sophomore forward Elijah Sessoms.
Down 23-10 after the first frame and struggling to match Dover’s bulk on the inside, Cape used its quick hands to force a bevy of turnovers in the next period, matching the Senators stride for stride. Dover pushed its lead into the 20s early in the third thanks to some hot shooting from Allen, but the Vikings closed to 56-42 on a steal and finish from senior wing Sh’Kai Chandler with two minutes left in the quarter. The Senators responded by scoring the next nine points – all by reserve big men – to squelch any hopes of a Cape rally.
Freshman forward Dylan Fannin enjoyed a breakout game for the Vikings (2-4, 1-3 Henlopen North), knocking down six of his seven field goal tries for a career-high 12 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Chandler added 12 points and six boards, while senior point guard Kris Rushin chipped in 10 points, seven rebounds, and four steals.
Cape shot a season-best 37 percent from the floor and held a deep, talented Dover side to 39 percent shooting. Miscues continued to plague the Vikings, however, as they turned the ball over 29 times.
Head coach Shemik Thompson saw the loss as a step forward for his team.
“We did a lot of good things today,” Thompson said. “We emphasized getting the ball upcourt quicker against the press, and we did that today. Our body language today was a lot better, the communication between the guys was a lot better, [and] the ball movement was a lot better. We just have to pick our spots when we’re aggressive. We drove into a lot of turnovers. We have to realize when we’re in, say, a 1-on-3 scenario, that we should pull up instead of driving, but there were definitely positives today. We’ll build on those.”
Cape will return to action Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 0-5 Sussex Central.
Other Slam Dunk results
Legacy Early College (S.C.) 52, Immaculate Conception (N.J.) 49 – Junior guard Jacobi Wright poured in 16 points to go along with seven assists, and senior guard RayShon Harrison added 16 points to propel the Lions to victory. Faced with an 11-point second-quarter deficit, Legacy clawed back by forcing turnovers and hitting 56 percent of its shots after intermission. Senior wing Zayon Marsh was one of four Immaculate Conception players who scored in double figures, going for 12 points and seven rebounds.
St. Raymond (N.Y.) 75, Gill St. Bernard’s (N.J.) 45 – The Ravens led from the opening tip and recorded their second blowout win of the Slam behind 24 points from senior off-guard Luis Kortright. Senior guard Reggie Hudson added 15 points for St. Raymond, which shot a robust 54 percent from the floor and forced 26 turnovers. Senior center Zach Martini notched a double-double for Gill St. Bernard’s, amassing 12 points and 10 rebounds, while sophomore guard Denver Anglin scored 15 points.
Archbishop Stepinac (N.Y.) 70, No. 3 Paul VI (Va.) 64 – The Crusaders earned a win that will reverberate throughout the high school hoops universe, upending the nation’s third-ranked team behind 21 points from senior guard R.J. Davis and an 18-point, 12-rebound day from junior forward A.J. Griffin. Down four at the halftime horn, Stepinac started the third quarter with a 17-5 run that left the Panthers looking stunned. Davis and Griffin combined for 11 points during the critical spurt, which gave the Crusaders an eight-point lead that they would never relinquish. Junior guard Trevor Keels led Paul VI with 19 points, while senior guard Jeremy Roach scored 13 of his 17 points in the final frame to keep his team close. The game featured three ACC blueblood commits in Davis (North Carolina), Griffin (Duke), and Roach (Duke).
No. 14 Roselle Catholic (N.J.) 65, First Love Christian (Pa.) 58 – Senior center Cliff Omoruyi delivered a monster triple-double of 17 points, 19 rebounds, and 11 blocked shots to lead Roselle past pesky First Love. The Lions also got a tournament-high 26 points and seven boards from smooth-shooting Xavier-bound wing C.J. Wilcher. Senior guard Isaiah Wilson paced the Knights with 21 points and five assists, while sophomore guard Mason Manning poured in 14 points. Roselle trailed by five at the half, but the Lions shot a blistering 69 percent from the floor the rest of the way to take command.
Westtown (Pa.) 66, National Christian (Md.) 56 – The fan favorite Moose may have boasted a front line with an average height of 6-foot-9, but it was senior guard T.J. Berger who stole the show in this one with 23 points, seven rebounds, and five three-pointers. The Penn commit and his backcourt mate, junior Jalen Warley, set the tone early with a combined 19 first-half points. Westtown maintained a comfortable lead throughout despite a 23-point night from NCA guard Yuri Covington. Warley finished with 12 points and five assists for the Moose, who hit 51 percent of their field goal tries and went 8-for-15 from long range.
