Courtesy of Jackson Fuller
Sports@StarNewsOnline.com
Bolivia, NC - Whenever the men's basketball teams at Cape Fear Community College play each other, records and expectations are left at the door.
Only 20 miles separate two of the perennial top junior college programs in the region, and that homegrown rivalry shows on the court.
In the latest installment of the series, Cape Fear proved to be the more formidable opponent in the teams' contest on Saturday night, pulling away in the second half to top the Dolphins, 79-70.
The win was anything but assured, however, as the Sea Devils (12-7, 3-0) watched an eight-point halftime lead disappear in the form of a 10-0 Brunswick CC (9-11, 0-3) run to start the second frame.
Sophomore Carson Smith spearheaded the Dolphins' comeback with six straight points to begin the half.
The Sea Devils answered with a run of their own to grab the lead for good, though.
Tied at 48-48, sophomore Demetres Abrams found his rhythm, leading a 9-2 run for the visitors with a conventional three-point play and consecutive 3-pointers to put his team ahead.
The home squad didn't have an answer, as they'd never get to within six for the rest of the game.
"I thought he (Brunswick CC coach Walter Shaw) did a great job of switching tempo and going zone (at halftime)," said Cape Fear coach Ryan Mantlo. "We got a little tentative and so we decided that we were just going to attack more gaps. We tried to spread out the offense and get people more involved on the block. I think it allowed our three-point shooters to have some looks and, once you do that against the zone, it kills it."
The visitors were able to take advantage of that momentum throughout the half, shooting a combined 12-30 from the field in the second frame.
Abrams, who leads the Sea Devils in made 3-pointers with 37 on the season, shot 3-for-8 from long range on Saturday, scoring all but three of his 14 points in the second half to go along with a team-high six assists.
Sophomore Anthony Vanhook, who entered Saturday's contest fifth in the nation in scoring and sixth in rebounding, led the Sea Devils in both categories for the night, finishing with game-highs of 23 points and 13 boards.
The freshmen also stepped up for Cape Fear CC, as Calvin Davis had eight points and six rebounds, and Travis Barnes had 12 points and 14 rebounds on the night.
For a team that was pre-ranked No. 9 in the nation, it has taken longer than expected for everyone to jell to this point.
The Sea Devils appear to be hitting their stride, however, having won seven of their last nine games.
"I think we've figured it out a little bit," Mantlo said. "We still have a long ways to go, but the kids are starting to understand what it takes to be a championship quality team. It started two days ago in practice with Cordea Wilson being such a terrific leader. He didn't have his greatest game today, but I think his preparation allowed us to be pretty good today."
Brunswick CC, on the other hand, finds itself in an unfamiliar position sitting at 0-3 in the conference.
There's still plenty of time for the team to find its stride as the season progresses, however.
"My mom is 74 years old and she's always told me, 'Live long enough and it'll happen to you, too,'?" Shaw said. "It's not typical, but I've seen different teams, different ways get their rhythm up and going. At the end of the day, they'll call one of us champion. We've won it when we weren't supposed to, we've won it when we were supposed to ... It's one big conference, so it gets us ready for the tournament."
Smith led the Dolphins with 18 points and seven rebounds, while sophomore Jaquonn Grissett added 17 points.
Overall, the Sea Devils controlled the boards with a 42-34 rebounding advantage.
The Sea Devils' win evens the all-time series between the programs at 17-17, setting up an intense rematch when Cape Fear will play host on Feb. 13, where both teams hope to be better than they were on Saturday.
