St. Elizabeth Vikings beat Cape Vikings 59-50

The St. Elizabeth girls’ basketball team exited the Cape Big House Jan. 26 with a 59-50 win over the Cape Vikings. Cape coach Pat Woods was pleased with his team’s performance, but stopped short of being the happy guy.

“I told the girls they battled all the way and showed they belong on the court with the best teams in the state,” he said. “But the only way to get the attention of the good upstate teams is to beat them. We had our chances in the fourth quarter.”  

But a pair of four-point plays gave the win to the Catholic school Vikings.

Cape dropped to 11-2 on the season and will host Polytech at 5:15 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 29, on the front end of a girls/boys doubleheader.

Saint E improved to 10-2 (unbeaten in Delaware) and will host Caravel Jan. 29.

The battle of Vikings was a contrast of styles, from powerpoint for St. E to the post-up play inside for Cape’s Abbey Hearn, who tallied 25 points.

But the Vikings couldn’t “hold the Mayo,” as junior point guard Ber’Nyah Ward-Mayo scored 24 points, including 9-for-13 from the free-throw line.

“Mayo is quick and wants the ball,” Woods said. “You can slow her down and give up some fouls, but you’re just not going to contain her.”

Cape led after one quarter 16-15, but trailed at the half 32-24. And after three quarters, the St. E lead increased to 46-32.

Cape mounted a fourth-quarter comeback, cutting the lead to six with under three minutes to play. A missed layup and turnover on consecutive trips down the court were turned into fast-break layups by St. E for a 59-50 victory.

“Two good teams locked in a close game late in the fourth quarter in front of a big crowd ... it was a good day for Cape girls’ basketball,” Woods said after the game. “We learned we belong. Now, we have to learn how to win that type of game because more battles are coming.”

Cape’s Dania Cannon added nine points and Mehkia Applewhite tallied eight.

Mayo was backed up by Naia Pulliam with 10 and Juliann McCarron with eight points.