WCA ramps up defense in 4Q to pull away from Wildwood in island rivalry game

Posted: December 24th 2025

Monroe Bowman scored 12 points to lead Wildwood Catholic over Wildwood.

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

WILDWOOD – The Wildwood High School and Wildwood Catholic Academy boys basketball teams each played excellent defense when the two met for their annual rivalry game Tuesday at the Boardwalk Basketball Classic.

In the fourth quarter, however, the Crusaders’ defense was practically impenetrable.

Wildwood Catholic held Wildwood to only one field and four points in the fourth quarter in pulling away from the Warriors for a 41-31 victory at the Wildwoods Convention Center. That one field goal even deserves an asterisk, as it came on a three-pointer in the final seconds with the outcome already decided.

“We really turned it on defensively,” Wildwood Catholic coach Brendan Norris said. “In a local rivalry like this, we felt we really had to come out aggressively after that third quarter.”

Wildwood Catholic (2-2) led 30-27 after three quarters. The Crusaders then scored eight of the first nine points of the fourth quarter to take control of the game.

Wildwood Catholic wasn’t great from the foul line overall – the Crusaders were 11 for 21 for the game – but made those shots when it mattered most, sinking 7 of 10 in the fourth quarter.

“We have to get better there,” Norris said. “We came into tonight shooting 40-something percent from the line. You’re giving away eight, 10, 15 points a game when you do that.”

Wildwood Catholic junior guard Monroe Bowman, a transfer from Mainland, was the only player in the game to reach double figures, scoring 12 points. He made a pair of three-pointers. 

“Monroe is starting to turn it on for us,” Norris said. “He’s new to the program and he’s a junior without a lot of varsity experience. But you can see that he can be a player and he’s really starting to turn the corner. He’s going to be really big for us going forward.”

Nolan Mahwinney scored nine points to lead Wildwood (1-1), which had three players foul out in the final period.

Wildwood Catholic has won 20 of the last 23 games against Wildwood. The Warriors still lead the all-time series overall, 54-44.