Cape boys’ basketball downs the Riders 67-61

Senior point guard Drew Zimmerman scored 21 points to lead four Vikings in double figures as the Cape Henlopen boys’ basketball team downed visiting Caesar Rodney 67-61 Dec. 20 in Lewes.

Cape looked dazed and confused out of the gate, turning the ball over possession after possession and falling behind 21-11 early in the second frame. Frustrated by a lack of energy from his charges, head coach Steve Re inserted sophomore guard Jayden Dukes and senior wing Trey Leggins into the lineup. Both delivered breakthrough performances off the bench, and the Vikings gradually dug themselves out of the hole. After Zimmerman put his team in front 37-36 on a hard drive to the cup midway through the third quarter, Cape edged ahead by as many as six points late in the frame.

The Riders battled back behind the long-range marksmanship of Malachi Brinkley and Adam Bailey, going up 56-55 on an Anthony Aglio jumper with five minutes left in the fourth. Dukes answered seconds later by splashing a three from the right wing. Junior guard Tyrone Tolson extended Cape’s lead with a steal and transition lay-in. A minute later, Leggins connected on a pair of free-throws after outmuscling a Rider for a key offensive rebound, giving the Vikings a 62-56 advantage. They maintained that margin until the final horn.

Re explained the lineup shift that ignited Cape’s comeback.

“[It was about] willingness to compete, willingness to hustle, willingness to dive for loose balls, willingness to try to rebound. You have to have awareness and you have to run. Jayden and Trey gave us that.”

Re was pleased that his team overcame a hot shooting night from CR to earn the win.

“You have to be able to win different ways, and when [CR] went small, we had a hard time guarding the perimeter. The fact that we survived a team that hit nine or 10 threes - it doesn’t happen often. It’s because we were getting into the paint and sharing the ball pretty well tonight.”

Zimmerman eclipsed the 20-point mark for the second consecutive game for Cape (2-1, 2-1 Henlopen North), adding six rebounds and four assists for his typical well-rounded line. Dukes poured in a career-high 11 points, dished out three assists, and knocked down three long-balls for Cape (2-1, 2-1 Henlopen North), while Leggins scored all 10 of his points in the second half and collected five boards. Senior center Odin Potemski also reached double-figures, tallying 10 points and seven rebounds.

Caesar Rodney (0-4, 0-3 Henlopen North) got a game-high 24 points from Brinkley and 14 from Bailey. The Riders stayed in the game by hitting nine three-pointers on the evening, including four from Bailey and three from Brinkley. CR shot just 36 percent from the floor overall, however, and struggled to take care of the ball. The Riders’ 27 turnovers were the most coughed up by a Cape opponent since December of 2018.

Tolson finished with nine points for Cape, while junior guard Kameron Trammell added the first five points of his varsity career and senior forward Dylan Fannin knocked down a free-throw.