Location: Joe & Barbara Schwartz Center - Wilmington, NC
Updated Record: 13-11
In Short: After relinquishing a few close games in a row, the Sea Devils finished the regular season with poise and strength as they defeated two well-respected conference opponents this past weekend in the Schwartz Center.
Friday, February 25th vs. USC Salkehatchie
Score: Cape Fear 92, USC Salkehatchie 85
Highlights:
Throughout the season, the USC Salkehatchie Indians have been a physical team who operates at a high tempo defensively against their opponents - and Friday night was no different. However, the Sea Devils were able to match their energy and start the game off with an early lead in the First Half. While the Indians found ways to penetrate the gaps in the Sea Devils defense, USC Salk struggled to maintain control on their defensive end as Cape Fear powered through the paint to both draw fouls and layup some uncontested buckets.
Jakob Moore stood his ground defensively throughout the First Half and was able to force turnovers to set his teammates up for fast break success. Jikari Johnson was also on the hunt for quick fast break opportunities to push the pace of the game in partnership with Jakob Moore. At the end of the first half, the Sea Devils lead with only a 2-point lead over the Indians.
Cape Fear hit the ground running in the Second Half as they did a tremendous job of staying composed while still bringing energy to both sides of the floor. The Sea Devils offense was aggressive, but controlled as they began to strengthen their lead over the Indians. AJ Thompson was able to draw fouls when necessary while also knowing when to push himself to earn 2 points in the paint for his team. The Sea Devils finished off the game with a fighting spirit that carried them into a win over a powerful team in the conference.
Jikari Johnson finished the matchup with 25 points and showed great tenacity on both sides of the ball - hoping to build on his success moving into Saturday afternoon's game.
Saturday, February 26th vs. Denmark Tech
Score: Cape Fear 78, Denmark Tech 72
Highlights:
After a well-deserved confidence boost from their previous win, Cape Fear took the floor on Saturday excited to celebrate their graduating Sophomores for Sophomore Day. The Sea Devils had the opportunity to recognize and thank their Sophomore class prior to tipoff of Saturday's game.
The Sea Devils made it a point early on to focus on maintaining possession and forcing turnovers when necessary. Their ability to remain calm, but solid on defense made a huge difference as they were able to reduce defensive fouls and increase defensive rebounds to maintain control of the game. While the Panthers fought for every point earned in the First Half, the Sea Devils stood their ground without getting into foul trouble and were able to capitalize on possessing the ball as a team.
Working together as a cohesive unit, the Sea Devils continued into the Second Half with fast-paced, but selective ball movement to create opportunities for each other both in the paint and along the 3-point line. However, the Sea Devils allowed a few easy takes by the Panthers as they were able to tie the game 48-48 with under 15:00 in the Second Half. But despite the perseverance from the Panthers, Cape Fear remained composed and did not deviate from their original strategy.
The Sea Devils continued to draw shooting fouls and made them count as they remained 80% successful from the freethrow line. Cape Fear upped their aggressiveness under the Panther's basket and continued to make calculated decisions on the attack to maintain possession. Talton Jones was a driving force behind this as he earned multiple defensive rebounds in a row for the Sea Devils.
Cape Fear put on an impressive display of composure throughout the game and were able to finish off regular season play with another win. The Sea Devils look forward to tournament play this week with a newfound sense of confidence and excitement.
Up Next: The Sea Devils will travel to Denmark, SC to compete against USC Salkehatchie once again for the Region 10 Tournament Quarterfinals at 5:00 PM hosted by Denmark Tech.
