Slam Dunk Day 3: Cape falls to Maryland power

Junior guard Barly Kanu scored 20 points and hit four three-pointers to lift Eleanor Roosevelt to a 69-52 wire-to-wire victory over Cape in the final game of the Slam Dunk to the Beach Dec. 29 in Lewes. Senior forward Augustine Okafor added 13 points for the Raiders, the defending Maryland 4A state champions,  while junior guard Jaden Faulkner tallied 11 points and six assists.  

Roosevelt survived some hot early shooting from the pesky Vikings, who hit nine three-pointers on the night and stayed within striking distance of the Raiders until early in the fourth quarter.

Junior forward Ian Robertson paced Cape with 13 points, 14 rebounds, six steals and four blocks, while junior forward Randy Rickards contributed 14 points and four boards. Junior guard Izaiah Dadzie went 4-for-6 from long range en route to 12 points, keeping Cape in the game with timely shooting. 

Cape fell behind 6-0 after just 52 seconds, as two steals by Kanu led to uncontested lay-ups for Roosevelt. The Vikings righted the ship and essentially traded baskets with the quick, athletic Raiders for the rest of the first half. They closed the gap to one when junior guard Caleb Jones sank his second three of the night to make it 20-19 with 5:11 left before intermission. Roosevelt’s Juston Bailey answered with a long-ball of his own to halt a 9-2 Cape spurt. The Vikings clawed back to within three on a Robertson jumper at the 1:49 mark, but Kanu connected from 10 feet out to give his team a 29-24 halftime edge. 

Roosevelt opened the second half with a 7-2 run and went up 36-26 on a Kanu three-pointer with 5:52 remaining in the third. Cape would trim the margin to as small as six points later in the period before the Raiders blew open the game with a 16-4 spurt, going up 61-42 on a long-ball from Justin Drummond midway through the fourth.

Roosevelt’s stifling pressure and cat-quick perimeter defenders held Cape starting guards Cory Barnes and Jerry Harden scoreless on the night, but reserve guards Jones and Sh’Kai Chandler notched six and five points, respectively. Meanwhile, little-used senior forward Robert Mitchell scored his first points of the season for the Vikings on a put-back just before the buzzer.

Roosevelt owned the glass, out-rebounding Cape 47-30, and amassed 42 points in the paint to the Vikings’ 14. The Raiders also forced 21 Cape turnovers and held the Vikings to 18-for-53 shooting (34 percent).

Sixth-year Cape head coach Steve Re said his team took steps in the right direction despite the setback, the Vikings’ third in four games. 

“We played way better than we did [Dec. 27 against Mt. Pleasant],” Re said. “We’re trying to become better teammates, to become more mature, and to grow up. That’s what we’re focusing on, and we saw progress tonight. They brought energy [tonight] that wasn’t there [against Mt. Pleasant].” 

Re also praised his Vikings for stepping up against high-caliber competition.

“We’re not gonna see a team like that in the entire state. They’d win a Delaware state title hands down, and we hung with them all the way up to the fourth quarter. That says a lot.” 

Robertson lauded Roosevelt’s athleticism. 

“They’re not the biggest team, but they’re super-strong, fast and athletic,” he said. “They just come at you and wear you down. They tired us out by the fourth quarter.”

The Vikings (3-3, 3-0 Henlopen North) return to the hardwood Tuesday, Jan. 3, when they battle Dover at The Big House. 

Day 3 results 

Mt. Pleasant (Del.) 69, St. Michael’s (Canada) 43

Sophomore forward KVonn Cramer scored 22 points on 10-for-14 shooting to lead the Green Knights to a runaway win over St. Michael’s. Mt. Pleasant shot a torrid 30-for-47 (64 percent) from the floor and led virtually the whole way. Sophomore point guard Fah’Mir Ali added six points and eight assists for the Knights, who improved to 7-0 on the year. Kyle Duke-Simpson paced St. Michael’s with 16 points.

Sanford (Del.) 64, Smyrna (Del.) 54

In a showdown between two top-five Delaware squads, the Warriors came out on top thanks to a 26-point, 12-rebound day from freshman blue-chipper Jyare Davis. The 6-foot-5 forward scored 14 of his points in the fourth quarter to keep Smyrna at a comfortable distance. The Eagles got 15 points and seven assists from junior guard Caleb Matthews, while senior guard Anthony Watson added 14 points. 

Sagemont (Fla.) 72, Baltimore Poly (Md.) 58

Senior swingman Tyler Polley scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds as the Lions used a huge second-quarter run to earn an easy win over the Engineers. Junior guard Samir Stewart netted 17 points and hit three three-pointers for Sagemont, which shot 60 percent from the floor and led from start to finish. Senior forward De’Vondre Perry, a Temple commit, paced Poly with 18 points and seven boards.

Westtown (Pa.) 71, Our Savior New American (N.Y.) 39  

Junior guard Cameron Reddish showcased the sweet stroke and smooth game that have earned him a top-10 ranking in the 2018 class, scoring 24 points on 9-for-13 shooting as Westtown waltzed to victory over Our Savior. Arizona signee Brandon Randolph collected 17 points, seven boards, and seven assists from the small forward spot for the Moose, who also got 14 points, 12 boards and five blocks from senior center Mohamed Bamba. Westtown held Our Savior to 26 percent shooting on the night. Junior forward Boubacar Diakite scored 11 points for the Pioneers.

St. Benedict’s (N.J.) 88, Gray Collegiate (S.C.) 51

St. Benedict’s used a 31-5 third quarter to turn a tight game into a laugher, running wild on Gray Collegiate late for an 88-51 triumph. Junior wing Matthue Cotton poured in 29 points and drilled seven three-pointers for the Gray Bees, who also got 21 points and 14 rebounds from sophomore guard Precious Achiuwa. Gray Collegiate guard and North Carolina recruit Jalek Felton was held to 12 points on 4-for-12 shooting one day after a 39-point masterpiece against Westtown.