Cape boys fall to St. Georges
Senior forward Michael McCants poured in 19 points and ripped down 17 rebounds as host St. Georges Tech walloped Cape Henlopen 73-46 in boys’ basketball action Feb. 15 in Middletown.
The Hawks controlled the game from the opening tip, kicking off the action with an 18-2 run and never relinquishing their lead.
Cape got as close as three points in the second quarter, but St. Georges responded with a 24-0 run, going up 49-22 on a McCants put-back with three minutes left in the third.
St. Georges (13-6, 6-1 Blue Hen A) also got 16 points from senior guard Tyrese Owens and 14 points from senior guard Nah’Shon Hyland, a top 300 prospect who has collected scholarship offers from Temple, St. Joseph’s and others.
The long, physical Hawks used their superior size to shoot 49 percent from the floor and win the battle of the boards 50-21. St. Georges also blocked seven shots on the night.
Sophomore guard Ja’Vaughn Burton registered team highs of 15 points, five rebounds and three three-pointers for the Vikings (7-12, 5-7 Henlopen North), who shot a season-low 24 percent from the field and went a woeful 4-for-24 (17 percent) from beyond the arc. Junior forward Jo Jo Kirby added eight points and two assists.
The setback was Cape’s fifth in a row, the first such streak in coach Steve Re’s eight-year tenure. The Vikings haven’t dropped five straight games since a seven-game skid in 2010.
Re sees brighter times ahead for his young squad.
“It’s really the same story we’ve had all year,” Re said. “As a young team, we’ve got to learn in these moments. It’s a mental toughness thing. We are developing that. I do think we played hard – that hasn’t been a problem. It’s about maintaining concepts while playing hard, and that only comes from game experience.”
Cape finishes up its regular-season slate with a visit from Appoquinimink at 6:15 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 19.
