Cape Henlopen 43, St. Mark’s 41
For Cape:
Johnesha Warren: 24 points (58% from the floor), 11 rebounds
Capri Murray: 11 points, 6 rebounds
Team: 45% from the floor; 33 rebounds
For St. Mark’s:
Alison Zimny: 11 points
Amanda Farrell: 9 points, 5 steals
Team: 31% from the floor; 20 rebounds
No doubt about it. THE biggest upset of the year as #9 seed, Cape Henlopen toppled #1 seed St. Mark’s. The game began with two full scoreless minutes until Lindsey Nichols hit a pair of free throws to put St. Mark’s up by two. From there on through the entire first half, St. Mark’s would maintain the lead. The largest margin, and therefore the game’s highwater mark for the Spartans, came early on in the second quarter when a Nichols layup established a 9-point margin and a 15 – 6 score. From that point on, however, the tide would slowly turn in favor of the Vikings.
A three-pointer by Capri Murray with 3:03 left in the 3rd period gave Cape their first lead of the game, 26 – 25. Cape would hold onto razor thin leads in the 4th quarter until the Spartans took a 39 – 38 lead on yet another crucial Lindsey Nichols bucket. Two Amanda Farrell free throws bulged the margin out to 3 points, which was erased with a long bomb by Cape’s Murray with 49 seconds left in the game. With 22 ticks still left on the clock, Margaret Bartley hit what must’ve been the biggest layup in her life to give the Vikes a 43 – 41 lead, which would hold to the buzzer.
The result shocked the crowd, positively or negatively, depending on who you were rooting for. But certainly all could agree that they’d seen girls hoops history. Kudos to Cape for not trying to play outside themselves and for staying on an even keel all game. Special shout out to Johnesha Warren. Her 24 point effort represented 56% of the Cape offense. And had she scored 21 points instead, her team would likely have been eliminated.
From the Spartans’ perspective, losing the rebound war 33 – 20 was crucial. So, too, had to be the light individual scoring numbers. Five Spartans logged 30 or more minutes played, yet only one broke into double-digit scoring, and that, just barely.
Closing seconds in the State Quarter-finals as the Cape Henlopen Vikings (#9 seed) upset the heretofore undefeated St. Mark's Spartans (#1 seed), 43 - 41, to advance to the Delaware High School Final Four. This game played March 6, 2010.
Smyrna 54, Caesar Rodney 39
For Smyrna:
Betnijah Laney: 21 points (50% from the floor), 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals
Crystal Ross: 18 points (8-for-9 from the floor), 7 rebounds
Team: 55% from the floor; 29 rebounds
For Caesar Rodney:
Monique Miller: 10 points
Deandra Scott: 8 points, 11 rebounds
Team: 22% from the floor, 44 rebounds
The New Math. Laney + Ross = long trip home for the Riders. While C.R. on paper seemed to dominate the boards, this is a little deceiving. 31 of their 44 rebounds were offensive. When matched up with their abysmal shooting (14 for 64), so many of these boards had to be recoveries of their own missed shots, of which there were many.
Smyrna was simply the better team.
Sanford 54, St. Elizabeth’s 40
For Sanford:
Andrea Hines: 16 points, 9 rebounds
Naiesha Brown: 11 points, 8 rebounds
Team: 36% from the floor, 37 rebounds
For St. E’s:
Anna Tiberi: 8 points, 4 steals, 3 assists
Tori Casper: 8 points
Team: 24% from the floor, 29 rebounds
Sanford just has the players. I don’t know what more can be said. Certainly, after witnessing the Cape/St. Mark’s game, Coach Thompson, sitting in the stands, had to have thought to himself, “Boy, I hope this isn’t a Day of Upsets.” And, aside from the aforementioned opener, it wasn’t.
Alexa Webb attempts to drive past Paige Davis.
Another shot of the senior, Webb.
Andrea Hines looks for an opening under the basket.
Hines had a great night, coming close to a double-double.
Ursuline 63, Dover 54
For Ursuline:
Kelsey Miller: 19 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals
Mary Kate Williams: 13 points
Team: 42% from the floor; 35 rebounds
For Dover:
Antoinette Robertson: 20 points (58% shooting)
Nichelle Potter: 19 points (56% shooting), 6 rebounds
Team: 46% from the floor, 27 rebounds
All indications were, from the moment this matchup took shape, that this would be the highest scoring contest at the quarter-finals. I thought, personally, that if Dover had a weak spot, it would be on defense. The recipe for an Ursuline win would be to keep attacking the hoop relentlessly on offense. On defense, don’t try anything fancy. Just keep Dover in the building. In this way, a high scoring, trading baskets game could fall into the Raiders’ laps. And that’s pretty much how it played out.
Big props to U.A.’s Caly Wendel for her 11-point night off the bench. Rarely a starter, Wendel did not let the pressure and importance of the game, nor the “Hollywood” setting at The Bob rattle her. She also pulled down 7 rebounds (second best on her team) in her 18 minutes of court time.
It should be noted that, for awhile in the 4th, it looked like Ursuline might let the game slip away. At the 6:53 mark, the Raiders were riding a commanding 50 – 30 lead. But, with 1:13 left, that had all but evaporated when the score read 59 – 54, Ursuline. The Ursulinians got sloppy, played a little flat-footed, and maybe began mentally celebrating a win that hadn’t happened yet. To beat Sanford, they will have to close out a 4th quarter better.
Dover’s fielded a very strong team the last 2 or 3 seasons. This year, however, they graduate out 6 seniors. Will next year be a rebuilding season, or will they find a way to stay near the top?
Antoinette Robertson shows her dexterity with the ball as Gab Perrotti defends.
Nichelle Potter is a key underclassman for Dover. This soph still has two more years on her contract and will help the Senators fill the void left by many departing seniors.
Audra Cranston (left) on a nice box out move on Dover's Shakia Parker.
DGB.com Report Card:
In November, we set our Final Four as Sanford, Ursuline, St. Mark’s and Smyrna. Three of those teams are actually going to the Semi-Finals this coming Wednesday. So far, so good for our prognostications! The way the brackets worked out, however, a Sanford / UA final is not possible. They will go up, head to head, on Wednesday. Hoops fans are guaranteed an Upstate / Downstate Final this year.