VIDEO: Boardwalk Classic recaps - Middle challenges national power in loss; big 2Q carries WCA girls; Powell paces MTHS girls; scoring balance benefits OCHS boys; LCM girls fall to Glassboro

Posted: December 25th 2024

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

WILDWOOD – The second day of the Boardwalk Basketball Classic’s Crest Savings Bank Battle at the Boards saw the Middle Township High School boys basketball team battle a national power all the way to the finish in a loss.

A handful of other Cape May County teams also played on Monday.

The following are recaps of the games:

MIDDLE BOYS RALLY BUT FALLS SHORT VS. NATIONAL POWER

College Achieve Charter School entered Monday’s Tom Feraco Showcase game with an extremely high reputation as a regional power.

The Knights sure looked like it at the game’s outset, racing to a 31-11 lead at one point of the second quarter. But Middle Township proved its own reputation as a South Jersey power with a frenetic comeback that saw the Panthers get close before falling, 66-60.

Greer extolled his players during a timeout in the second quarter. From that point, the Panthers outplayed College Achieve the rest of the way. But the early deficit was too much to overcome.

“After that timeout, they brought it then but they have to learn to bring it from the beginning,” Middle coach LaMarr Greer said. “That’s why we like to play these teams, to learn what it takes to compete at a high level.”

A three-pointer by Mason Murawski with a little more than three minutes to play cut College Achieve’s lead to six points. But the Knights eventually upped their lead to 11 points before another Middle spurt in the final 40 seconds created the final six-point margin.

Jamir McNeil shrugged off a slow first quarter – he went scoreless in the period – to finish with a game-high 21 points for Middle (3-1). Chase Moore added 11 before fouling out in the fourth quarter and Murawski and Amir Elston each scored all nine of their points in the second half.

Eric Hillsman led College Achieve (6-2) with 20 points. Deuce Maxey, who has family in the Cape May County area, scored eight points for the Knights.

BALANCED SCORING PACES OC BOYS

Ocean City trailed Williamstown by a point after one quarter of the Buddy Tarbotton Memorial Boys Showcase Game. But the Raiders went on to post an 18-7 edge in the second period and pulled away from the Braves in the second half for a 67-46 victory.

The Raiders (4-0), one of the surprise teams of the young season so far, had extremely balanced scoring in the win. Ben McGonigle led them with 16 points, with Leon Brown coming off the bench for 13 points and Luke Tjoumakaris chipping in 11 points. In all, eight Ocean City players scored in the victory.

POWELL LEADS MTHS GIRLS

Reagen Powell led a huge surge by Middle Township in the Jim Leahy Memorial Showcase Game in the opening quarter before the Lady Panthers eventually gained a 54-37 win over Kingsway.

Powell scored eight points in the first period as Middle raced toa 17-4 lead and never looked back.

Powell finished with a game-high 22 points and Sara Farrow added 10 points for Middle (3-0). 

BIG SECOND QUARTER PACES WCA GIRLS

The Wildwood Catholic Academy girls basketball team found itself trailing by two points after the first quarter against Lower Moreland (Pa.) in the Fran St. John Showcase game.

By halftime, however, the Crusaders essentially had the game won.

A 23-4 blitz in the second period put Wildwood Catholic in control before it settled for a 60-36 victory.

After going scoreless in the first quarter, Lola McGonigle erupted for 15 of her game-high 22 points in the second period to fuel the big Wildwood Catholic run. Dani Daley added 18 points in the win, scoring all 11 of her team’s points in the third quarter.

The Crusaders moved to 4-0 with the win.

SECOND-HALF STRUGGLES HURT LCM

The Lower Cape May Regional High School girls basketball team scored a basket early in the third quarter of the “Big Al” Nerenburg Memorial Showcase Game to cut its deficit to just a point against Glassboro.

The Lady Tigers, however, went on to score just six points over the remainder of the game as the Bulldogs pulled away for a 40-26 win.

Brooke Robinson led Lower Cape May (1-3) with 16 points. She scored all of her team’s eight points in the second half.