Cape boys’ basketball wins matchup with the Bucs
Cape players’ legs were clearly feeling the effects of four games in one week, but the Vikings found just enough energy to pull away for a 52-43 win over a gritty Milford squad Jan. 16 in Lewes.
The game was nearly a sellout, with the bleachers filled close to capacity for what was billed as a neighborhood rivalry showdown. The teams went into halftime separated by just one point, 22-21, and the score remained tight at the end of the third quarter, with Cape holding a slim 34-31 advantage.
With five minutes remaining in the fourth, the Vikings led 38-36 and were still searching for separation. Oz Batson provided a spark with a 10-foot floater to push the lead to four. Milford answered on the next possession, but Braxton Figgs rejected a layup attempt to halt the momentum. Geordan Downing pushed the ball ahead and found Stephen Sivels for a three-point play in transition.
Moments later, Figgs came up with a steal and fed Batson for a short bucket underneath. After a Milford three-pointer cut into the lead, Sivels responded by finding space in the lane and finishing a tough, double-pump layup through traffic to make it 48-41. Milford trimmed the deficit to five in the final minute, but Downing sealed the game with a free throw followed by a three-point play off another Sivels assist.
Cape closed the game on a 14-7 run. Despite shooting just 1-for-16 from beyond the arc, the Vikings outshot the Buccaneers 37% to 31% from the field and committed a season-low eight turnovers.
Downing and Tingle led the Vikings with 13 points apiece, grabbing four and nine rebounds, respectively. Sivels added 11 points and four assists, while Batson finished with 10 points and nine rebounds. Figgs contributed seven rebounds and a block.
“It was a great win for us,” said Downing. “There’s been a lot of doubt and a lot of chatter about us. It feels good to pull this one out.”
“I feel very blessed that we came out with the win,” said Batson. “It was intense. It was different from the Howard or Smyrna games because we know Milford so well, like neighbor versus neighbor. We play with each other a lot in the community.”
Coach Steve Re credited his team’s defense down the stretch.
“We were really struggling to score the ball,” Re said. “We’ve played a lot of games in a short period of time. We need this weekend to rest and get our legs back. We have two games next week.”
The 9-2 Vikings host Route 9 rival Sussex Tech Tuesday, Jan. 20.
Dan has worked for the Cape Gazette for more than 30 years as a photographer and reporter, covering high school sports and happenings around eastern Sussex County. He won a photography award from the National Newspaper Association, and numerous awards from the Maryland, Delaware, D.C. Press Association. A Delaware native, Dan graduated from Cape in 1972 and returned as a teacher and coach in the 1980s. He retired from the classroom in 2016. He was inducted into Cape High’s Legends Stadium in 2016. In his spare time, Dan enjoys spending time with his wife, two sons, grandchildren and dogs.
