Cape boys’ basketball downs Spartans 65-55
Senior forward Ian Robertson’s 20 points and 11 rebounds helped the Cape Henlopen boys’ basketball team erase a fourth-quarter deficit and hold off a talented Lake Forest side 65-55 Jan. 6 in Lewes.
“We played hard and stayed focused,” said Cape head coach Steve Re, whose Vikings (14-2, 8-1 Henlopen North) extended their winning streak to 10 games. “I like our ability to grind it out for a win even when we’re not playing our best. It wasn’t pretty, but it was effective. We’re getting everybody’s best shot right now. Lake really showed up.”
Robertson’s frontcourt partner, senior Randy Rickards, recorded a double-double of his own with 15 points and 13 boards, while sophomore guard Sh’Kai Chandler equaled his career highs in three categories with 15 points, nine rebounds and four steals.
After an even first half in which both teams struggled to find the range from the floor, the Vikings seized control in the third period thanks to a bevy of inside buckets from Robertson and a pair of three-pointers by senior guard Izaiah Dadzie. Cape took a 43-37 lead into the final frame, but Lake guard John Forrest exploded for nine points over the first 1:39 of the fourth quarter to tighten the tally. A four-point play from Forrest put the Spartans ahead 47-46 at the 6:21 mark, and the Vikings were suddenly in a dogfight.
Robertson responded immediately, netting a 12-foot leaner to put Cape back in front, and the Vikings closed the game with a 17-8 run to deny a valiant Lake effort. Chandler made three steals and tipped in a critical bucket during Cape’s furious finish, while sophomore guard Kris Rushin rattled home a pretty “and one” floater in the lane that all but sealed the deal.
Re credited his team for adjusting its offensive philosophy in the second half after shooting just 7-for-20 from the field in the first.
“I called timeout in the first two minutes of the game when we shot three three-pointers without driving and moving first,” Re said. “We fell into that pattern a little bit, but we adjusted our offense in the second half by going down into the post deeper and earlier, playing inside-out.”
Robertson liked the Vikings’ late-game composure.
“We kept our cool,” said Cape’s 6-foot-6 scoring machine. “We came together pretty well under pressure and shot free throws well to help put the game away. I also thought our team defense was pretty good tonight.”
Forrest came off the bench to lead Lake Forest (9-6, 8-3 Henlopen South) with 15 points, scoring all but two of them in the final period, while fellow senior Thomas Hoskins added nine points, nine rebounds and six assists. The Vikings’ tough interior defense limited the 6-foot-5 Hoskins, Lake’s leading scorer on the year, to 4-for-21 shooting.
Rushin poured in all eight of his points after intermission and dished out four assists. Cape also got six points from Dadzie and one from junior forward Jack Dennis.
The Vikings allowed the Spartans to convert just 19 of their 64 field goal attempts (30 percent) and forced 21 Lake turnovers.
Cape will square off with 14-3 Sussex Tech Friday, Feb. 9. The Vikings handed the Ravens a 61-51 defeat in Georgetown last month. Rickards and Robertson are both on pace to eclipse 1,000 career points in the game, so get to The Big House for the 6:15 p.m. tip-off.
