Vikings bow out of state tourney
Early in its matchup with host William Penn in the first round of the DIAA boys’ basketball tournament, Cape Henlopen’s zone defense did what it was designed to do. It forced the Colonials into wild 25-footers and awkward mid-range flings, as Penn managed just two points through the first nine minutes of action.
Up by eight in the second quarter, the Vikings looked well on the way to an upset. Then William Penn caught fire.
The Colonials knocked down nine of their 12 field goal tries and hit three three-pointers in a huge third quarter that propelled them to a 53-48 victory.
Devin Hackett scored 15 points and added four assists to pace Penn (6-8, 5-8 Blue Hen A) to its fourth win in five games. The senior guard poured in seven of his points in the third, converting a corner trifecta that gave the Colonials a 40-34 lead with 48 seconds left in the frame. Guards Corey Mitchell and Jehiah Eldridge also connected from long range in the third, catalyzing a 21-11 run that put William Penn in control.
Cape trimmed the deficit to one point a few times in the fourth quarter but couldn’t get over the hump.
Head coach Shemik Thompson was pleased with the way his Vikings dealt with the Colonials’ own zone schemes.
“I thought we played well,” he said. “We knew they’d pack in the paint and force us to knock down shots. We hit nine threes and took what they gave us. I thought we had really good looks, and sometimes they just don’t fall. Not enough of them fell for us, but we moved the ball well and got great looks. When we got down late, guys didn’t stop playing. They kept fighting. It was a positive step.”
Senior guard Nate Sivels tallied 13 points and six rebounds for Cape (4-10, 4-9 Henlopen North), hitting three three-pointers along the way, while senior wing Ja’Vaughn Burton added 10 points and four assists. Juniors Kay’von Jackson (nine points, three three-balls), Zimere Bolden (eight points, 10 rebounds), and Brody Pedersen (eight points, two threes) rounded out the Vikings’ scoring.
Penn got 10 points and two threes apiece from Mitchell and Eldridge, while freshman big man Emmanuel Vonhm contributed seven points and nine boards.
Burton reflected on his final game in Columbia blue and gold.
“We played well on defense,” he said. “We were communicating, we played hard, and [we] took away everything they wanted to do. [William Penn] hit a lot of shots and came back on us. We wanted to force them into threes, but they just didn’t miss for like three minutes [in the third]. There wasn’t much we could do about it.”
Sivels closed out his Cape career by looking to the future.
“This game was an opportunity for our underclassmen to get some fire in them. Losing like that, hopefully they learn something from it and come back stronger next year.”
William Penn, coached by legendary alumni Gary Lumpkin and William “Tail” Davis, is set to face third-seeded Howard in second-round play Thursday, March 4.
