Location: Bolivia, NC
Updated Record: 7-5
Recap:
The Sea Devils were able to stay relatively close to home this past weekend as they participated in the Brunswick Classic in nearby Bolivia, NC - a 9-team tournament hosting many highly-ranked NJCAA Division I teams from across the East Coast. CFCC battled throughout the weekend to keep games close and face adversity as a team unit. However, the Sea Devils fell short and were unable to pull out a win this weekend.
Friday night's matchup against Harcum College, currently ranked #12 in the country, was incredibly competitive and ended in Overtime play. The Sea Devils did not let their foot off the gas as they were only down 42-49 at the end of the first half against the Bears. While there was a solid team effort throughout, the Sea Devils were unable to contain the Bears and ended their first matchup of the tournament with an 83-92 loss.
"I thought we grew as a team today," remarked Head Coach Mark Lane. "We have no time to dwell on the loss as we get right back into it tomorrow."
As promised, the Sea Devils kept a short-term memory of the following night's defeat as they took the court against East Georgia State with high energy and perseverance. CFCC stood their ground in the first half - finishing with a close 34-36 against EGSC. However, the Sea Devils began to run out of gas in the second half and a few crucial mistakes gave the Bobcats the upper hand. It was another hard-fought battle, but the Sea Devils were not able to solidify their position and ended with a 71-74 loss.
In their final game of the tournament, the Sea Devils did their best to focus on attention to detail and finishing strong on their defensive end. They ended the first half tied 35-35 against the Monroe College Mustangs, which gave them the confidence they needed to finish the game strong as a team. Unfortunately, the Sea Devils were unable to keep their second half lead and finished yet another close game 77-85.
"Effort has been there this weekend," says coach Lane, "but it's the little things that have hurt us. We need to learn how to play with a lead."
The Sea Devils are confident in their ability to learn from tough losses and are eager to start the new year with positivity and hard work to improve. Going head-to-head with top programs has given the team new goals to strive for as they wrap up the first half of their season.
Up Next: Following the Winter Break period, the Sea Devils will host Central Carolina at home in the Schwartz Center on Saturday, January 8th at 3:00 PM.
