Cape boys’ basketball concludes season 17-3

Back-to-back 30-point wins against Henlopen North foes gave the Cape boys’ basketball team an impressive 17-3 record to put on its tournament resume.

Before the Vikings honored seniors David Barnes, Braxton Figgs, Lawson Whaley, Mikey Thompson and Dell Richards Feb. 17 during a game against Polytech, they played a Monday matinee on Presidents’ Day, downing Caesar Rodney 75-45. Despite the quick turnaround, Cape stayed hot, defeating the Panthers 79-43.

CR went ahead early and put up a good fight against a long-standing rival, but Cape withstood the initial barrage.

“We realized that they're actually a team capable of beating us, so we had to turn up toward the second quarter going into the second half,” junior Geordan Downing said. “We started knocking outside shots, taking better shots and playing defense.”

“Once we got comfortable with the game, we went on our runs, played Cape basketball [and] had fun while we were doing it,” junior Jameson Tingle said.

A 12-9 CR lead after the first eight minutes was flipped on its head when the Vikings broke out for 27 points in the second quarter to take a commanding 36-21 edge into the halftime break.

“We're mature, we have something to play for at this time of the year, and we've gotten better every game this year – we steadily just got better,” coach Steve Re said. “We've played a lot of games here, back-to-back, and we're playing for something. Some teams aren't playing for anything, so it's a balancing act between let's compete and get after it … and then we have to pull the brakes at some point.”

Cape closed the contest with a 39-24 second half, leading to the 75-45 scoreline and first 30-point win of the week. Downing led all scorers with 19 points. Tingle’s six steals tied classmate Steve Sivels’ total, while Sivels led the Vikings with eight helpers. Richards’ eight boards led Cape, which had 34 as a team.

Against Polytech, the black-and-red must have triggered the bull in the Vikings, because they burst out of the gate with a 22-7 first quarter and had a 42-20 lead by halftime. Momentum from Senior Night ceremonies and a big opening half helped carry the final 16 minutes for Cape, giving the Vikings a 79-43 win and 17-3 record.

Sivels led all scorers with 17 points. His seven assists and three steals were also team highs. Figgs blocked an eye-popping six shots, while Tingle’s eight rebounds topped the Vikings. Richards tied Sivels with three steals.