VIDEO: Middle, Holy Spirit to clash for CAL title

Posted: February 19th 2025

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

One of the favorites and somewhat of a Cinderella have checked into the championship game of the Cape-Atlantic League girls basketball playoff tournament.

Middle Township posted a comfortable 53-36 win over Our Lady of Mercy Academy and Holy Spirit stunned Wildwood Catholic, 58-54, in the tournament’s semifinal games played Tuesday at Atlantic City High School.

MIDDLE PULLS AWAY FROM OLMA

Middle, the second seed in the tournament, led basically from start to finish in its victory over OLMA. The Lady Panthers led by as many as eight points in the second quarter before going into halftime with a 22-17 lead. Middle then went on to outscore the Villagers 31-19 in the second half, highlighted by a 9-0 run early in the third quarter that gave the team its first double-digit lead.

Junior forward Reagen Powell poured in 25 points to lead Middle (21-5). Senior guard McKenzie Palek recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds while also providing her usual tough defense. Junior forward Sarah Farrow contributed six points and 11 rebounds. Junior guard Abbey Cappelletti mixed four points, eight rebounds and six assists.

Muffin Bethea’s 11 points led sixth-seeded OLMA (13-12) in the loss.

Middle will play for the CAL title for the first time since 2019 and the 10th time overall. The Lady Panthers have won the CAL championship game five times – in 1992, 1995, 1996, 2014 and 2016.

ROLE PLAYER SPARKS SPIRIT PAST WCA

Ava Catona entered Tuesday’s semifinal averaging 4.7 points per game this season. The senior broke out for arguably the best game of her career to help fifth-seeded Holy Spirit upset top-seeded Wildwood Catholic Academy.

Catona knocked down four three-pointers – she had made 14 for the season entering the game – and scored a career-high 17 points in the Spartans’ four-point victory.

The lead changed hands numerous times in the final period. Anastasia Bowman’s two free throws gave Wildwood Catholic a one-point advantage, but Catona sank a three-pointer to give her team the lead for good with less than two minutes to go. Lauren Cella and Sabrina Little then combined to make six straight free throws in the final 40 seconds to help ice the victory for Holy Spirit.

Little was also in double figures for Spirit with 15 points. Cella and Kieran Brewster each added 12 points.

Lola McGonigle scored 13 of her 20 points in the second half for Wildwood Catholic (21-5), which had beaten Holy Spirit twice in the regular season prior to Tuesday. Bowman added 11 points and Lily King and Damiya Carter each chipped in 10 points.

Holy Spirit (18-8) will play in the CAL title game for the first time since a victory in the 2013 game. This will be the ninth appearance by the Spartans in the CAL championship game. They’ve won three times overall.