Wilmington, NC - Cape Fear men's basketball won it's regular season home opener, defeating Lenoir Community College 100-56. Alonzo Tyson lead with 17 points and 14 rebounds, while Jerick Haynes finished with 17 points on 7-11 shooting. Jacque Brown lead in assists with four.
Lenoir gained the early lead, knocking down two 3-pointers in the first two possessions. Cape Fear looked a bit disorganized, and committed a few early turnovers.
Two alley oops by Alonzo Tyson would settle the Sea Devils down, however, and they'd take their first lead at 8-6. They would go on to score 19 straight points before Lenoir would end their run.
Cape Fear played with a fast tempo, aggressively attacking Lenoir on every possession. Points came primarily from inside, with Tyson the focal point of the offense. The majority of their points came from the paint, which helped open up shooters on the outside. Tai-He Jeter would take full advantage, knocking down four 3-pointers in the first half.
Midway through the half, Cape Fear held a 31-13 lead. They were shooting 57.1 from the field, and 40 percent from the 3-point line. They would maintain a large lead as the half wore on.
Tyson would convert an and-1 to give the Sea Devils a 45-19 lead with 4:27 remaining. The Lancers would get some points back by getting to the free throw line, but Cape Fear would go on a small run in the final minutes, and lead 58-31 at halftime.
Tyson would lead with 13 points and eight rebounds, while Jeter scored 12 points on 4-7 from behind the arc. Trae Bryant had 9 points, four rebounds, and three assists. The team shot 55.3 percent from the field, and went 12-15 from the free throw line. Their bench outscored Lenoir's 25-3, and outrebounded them 24-9.
A corner-3 by Alston Davis would open the second half. The Sea Devils looked to attack the hoop and kick it to the corners as the Lancers collapsed on the driver. The Lancers struggled defending without fouling, and picked up seven fouls in the first four minutes. Cape Fear continued moving the ball well, which created open shots in the halfcourt.
With 14 minutes remaining Cape Fear lead 68-40. Holding a comfortable lead, the Sea Devils would go deeper into their bench, but continued looking to build the lead. They would extend it to 30 points with 8:13 remaining.
Haynes would score nine straight points in the closing minutes of the game, then a layup by Jeter would give the team a 41 point lead. Both teams would clear the benches for the final 2:37, and the Sea Devils would cruise to win their opening home game.
Cape Fear scored 62 points in the paint, and outrebounded Lenoir 43-21. They scored 30 points off 16 Lancer turnovers.
Afterwards, head coach Ryan Mantlo was pleased with the win. "We played really, really hard. We were sloppy at times but we're trying to implement some new things and we're still trying to figure each other out, but overall I thought it was a good performance."
Asked about what his team will have to do heading into tomorrow's matchup against #2 ranked Georgia Highlands, Mantlo pointed to limiting turnovers.
"We've got to take care of the ball. They're going to come in here, and try to control the tempo. If we can slow them down and play our style, we'll be in good shape."
The win improves Cape Fear's record to 2-0. They will play again tomorrow, November 12th, against Georgia Highlands College. Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m.
Courtesy of Nick Denning
