Middle holds off Ocean City to win conference title, secure top seed for CAL Tournament

Posted: February 5th 2026

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

Staff Writer

Injuries and other personnel issues have left the Middle Township High School boys basketball team a bit shorthanded at a critical time of the season.

Enter sophomore forward Kyle Mick.

Mick, a fringe rotation player for much of the season, made the most of a place in the starting lineup Thursday by sinking 5 of 7 three-point attempts and scoring 15 points in a critical game at Ocean City. Helped by Mick’s performance, Middle held off a late Raider rally and posted a 56-49 victory that gave the Panthers the Cape-Atlantic American Conference regular-season title and the top seed for the CAL Playoff Tournament, which begins next week.

Thanks to hot first-half shooting and stingy defense, Middle ran out to a 28-11 lead at intermission. The Panthers extended that lead to as high as 20 points early in the third quarter before the Raiders rallied. Ocean City cut Middle’s lead to as low as four points in the final 30 seconds of the game but could get no closer.

Alex Daniel was terrific for Middle (12-8 overall, 11-1 CAL American). The senior forward posted 15 points, nine rebounds and four assists and was the most composed Panther player with the ball when Ocean City ramped up its defensive pressure over the final four minutes of the game.

Chase Moore added eight points, nine rebounds and four assists for Middle before fouling out with five minutes remaining. Angelo Panzini also had eight points in the victory.

Middle won despite committing 19 turnovers. The Panthers made up for their sloppiness in possession by shooting 21 for 43 from the floor (48.8 percent), including 8 for 17 from three-point range (47.1 percent).

Ocean City (17-4, 9-3) surged in the second half after shooting only 3 for 24 from the floor through the opening two quarters. Luke Tjoumakaris tallied 18 points and six rebounds and Josh Lenko added 11 points and eight rebounds for the Raiders.

Ocean City will be the No. 2 seed for the CAL Playoff Tournament.