Wilmington, NC - Cape Fear women's basketball returned home to beat Lenoir Community College for the second time, 71 to 48. Destiny Campbell led with 22 points, 12 rebounds, and six blocks, while TaKwana Bland finished with 21 points, 9 rebounds, and four assists.
The opening points came from Christina Caesar, who intercepted a pass and took it the length of floor to finish with a layup. It helped the Sea Devils jump out to a 6-0 lead. Lenoir looked to slow the pace of play to limit possessions and look for an open shot. They knocked down an open 3-pointer to get on the board, cutting the score to 6-3.
Cape Fear continued pressing the ball on defense and forced a few more turnovers. Campbell led the Sea Devils early, scoring eight points in the first quarter on 4-6 shooting.
The early lead helped the Sea Devils take control early, and the first quarter ended with them leading 19-7.
The Sea Devils continued to dominate in the second quarter, but points didn't come as easily. While their defense had been strong entering the second quarter, the Lancers managed to go on a 7-2 run, cutting the lead to 11.
The second quarter was a stark contrast to the first, as the Sea Devils looked sluggish. Head Coach Lori Drake cited playing Lenoir the second straight game, and the team's energy for the dip in play.
"It was just energy. We lacked a lot of energy, and I wasn't quite sure if we wanted it, but we pulled through."
Cape Fear managed to pick it up offensively just before halftime, and ended the half leading 31-16.
Offensive rebounds came in bulk for Cape Fear in the first half, totalling 13. While leading to extra possessions, it only accounted for five, second chance points. Instead, Cape Fear capitalized by scoring off of turnovers, with 11 of their 31 first half points coming off of 13 Lenoir turnovers.
Lenoir kicked off the third quarter by knocking down a 3-pointer. Cape Fear responded with four straight, but the Lancers countered back with two more 3's, cutting the score to 35-25. They briefly brought the deficit to 9, but Cape Fear responded to push the score back into double digits. While their shooting woes continued in the third, Cape Fear picked up points by getting to the foul line.
Cape Fear entered the fourth leading by 15. Campbell opened the scoring for both teams in the quarter, knocking down a jump shot just inside the free throw line. Two minutes later, Nikia Wallace stole a pass and converted a strong layup while drawing the foul.
The rest of the quarter went fairly smoothly, and the Sea Devils were able to solidify their lead. Newcomers to the roster Jenna Pecorini and Sydney Parker, both of the CFCC women's soccer team, were able to get time on the court in the final minutes. Pecorini knocked down her first shot of the game, while Parker provided an assist to Campbell for an easy bucket.
"They bring a lot of energy," said coach Drake of both players. "It's fun to have them on the team, they're skilled, and Jenna was able to come in and hit a shot for us. Sydney is an excellent soccer player, and comes in and provides us with [toughness]."
While Cape Fear won by a large margin, it was a poor shooting night overall, as the team shot only 34.2 percent from the field. Rebounding and points in the paint were a difference maker for them, however, as they totaled 54 rebounds and scored 44 points in the paints.
The win improves Cape Fear to 15-3 on the season, and 10-1 in conference play. They will play again at home this Saturday, January 28th against Louisburg College at 2:00 p.m.
Courtesy of Nick Denning
