By Eric Detweiler
Eric.Detweiler@StarNewsOnline.com
As a 6-foot-4 post player, Cape Fear Community College freshman Anthony Vanhook needs an array of crafty moves around the hoop to have any chance to score against taller players.
Brunswick Community College's defense allowed Vanhook to catch the ball near the rim time and again early in Friday's game at the Schwartz Center, and the undersized forward showcased his full offensive arsenal. He had 22 of his game-high 28 points in the opening 15 minutes – the fast start the Sea Devils needed to claim an 85-67 win.
The comfortable victory in a foul-marred contest avenged an earlier loss and keeps CFCC in contention for the No. 2 seed in next week's Region X tournament at BCC. The host Dolphins have already clinched the top seed.
"My focus was to come out and be aggressive," Vanhook said. "I was going to do whatever my team needed me to do."
Cape Fear Community College (16-13) had looked forward to the game as a chance to erase a negative memory. In the Jan. 11 loss, the Sea Devils shot 21 percent from the field and couldn't keep up with Brunswick Community College (19-11) in transition.
Vanhook set the tone Friday with rapid-fire offense. At times, the Chapel Hill native was headed to the hoop before BCC had a chance to set its zone. He scored his 22nd point on a put back with 5:20 left in the first half, and at that point he'd outscored the Dolphins by himself.
When the BCC defense finally figured out how to slow Vanhook, it created opportunities for his teammates.
The Sea Devils needed offense elsewhere when its top scorer headed to the bench after picking up his fourth foul with 13 minutes left, but the Dolphins couldn't whittle the deficit in a stop-and-start game regularly interrupted by a total 59 fouls.
CFCC consistently broke BCC's press and produced easy layups or free throws. Guard Osandai Vaughn had 11 of his 14 points in the second half and forward Bradley James, who entered the game with 20 points for the season, scored all 10 of his points after halftime.
"Today we grinded," CFCC coach Ryan Mantlo said. "I'm very proud of us, how we grinded and continued to go. That's big-time basketball."
Brunswick Community College closed the first half with eight straight points to cut its deficit to 37-32 but couldn't sustain the momentum. The Dolphins scored the first basket out of the break and never got any closer.
Anthony Williams and Cam Jones scored 16 points apiece for BCC.
"We'll be fine," coach Walter Shaw said. "We've just to regroup and get ready to go next week. We have a tough group. It just wasn't a good night."
