VIDEO: Benichou’s late heroics lift Wildwood girls, OCHS boys hold off Wildwood’s challenge in basketball DH

Posted: February 1st 2026

Rebecca Benichou scored 14 of her 27 points in the fourth quarter, two of which came on the winning basket with six seconds to play, to lift Wildwood to a 53-51 win over Ocean City Saturday.

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

WILDWOOD – There was a playoff-like atmosphere in the Wildwood High School gymnasium Saturday as the host school’s boys and girls basketball teams took on county rival Ocean City.

In the girls game, Rebecca Benichou’s late heroics lifted Wildwood to a 53-51 victory. In the boys game, Ocean City shrugged off a pair of late charges by the Warriors and eventually pulled away for a 59-47 win.

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Rebecca Benichou has a history of late-game heroics.

The Wildwood junior guard struck again on Saturday.

Benichou, who made a three-pointer with three seconds remaining for the winning basket in the South Jersey Group I title game as a freshman two seasons ago, converted an eight-foot jump shot with six seconds to go to lift the Lady Warriors to a 53-51 decision over the Raiders in a real thriller Saturday.

Benichou’s basket capped a wild fourth-quarter rally for Wildwood, which trailed by eight at 43-35 early in the period before finishing the game with an 18-8 surge.

Benichou finished with a game-high 27 points, scoring 14 of them in the deciding final period.

Benichou had given Wildwood a three-point lead with a foul-line jump shot with 35 seconds to play. But Ocean City’s Marley Ostrander, who was terrific in a losing effort, made a three-pointer from just left of the top of the key with 15 seconds to go to tie the game.

Wildwood elected to push the ball quickly instead of taking a timeout. Benichou drove to the basket but couldn’t get to the rim due to solid Raider defense, but took a quick step back away from the lane along the left baseline and knocked down her winning shot.

Benichou then sealed the victory by stealing the ensuing inbound pass.

Joelle Murphy added nine points, eight rebounds, three steals and three assists and Addison Troiano chipped in nine points, six rebounds, three steals and three assists for Wildwood (14-4), which won its 10th straight game.

After a close first half, Wildwood appeared on the verge of taking control of the game when it went ahead at 34-23 midway through the third quarter. But Ocean City responded with an extraordinary 20-1 run to take its eight-point lead early in the final period before Wildwood’s strong rally at the finish.

Ostrander pumped in 24 points and Mya Dever added nine points for Ocean City (9-7).

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Ocean City entered Saturday’s boys game as a heavy favorite against Wildwood and certainly played like it at the start, building a 20-5 lead.

But Wildwood made two strong rallies in the fourth quarter to pull to within six points on one occasion and five on another, until the Raiders’ poise and experience allowed them to pull away for the 59-47 win.

Josh Lenko made 9 of 16 shots from the floor and 7 of 8 attempts from the foul line to lead Ocean City with 25 points. He also had seven rebounds.

Luke Tjoumakaris chipped in 13 points for the Raiders (15-3), who won their fifth straight game.

Wildwood (7-10) never let Ocean City run away thanks to solid perimeter shooting, the Warriors sinking 9 of 17 attempts from three-point range.

Wildwood closed to within six points early in the fourth quarter, only to see Ocean City quickly score six straight points to go ahead by 12. Wildwood rallied again, pulling to within five at 46-41 with a little more than three minutes to play, but Ocean City finished the game with a 13-6 run to win by double digits.

Trevor Troiano, who made 4 of 5 attempts from three-point range, and Nolan Mawhinney each scored 14 points for Wildwood.

Ocean City shot just 19 of 34 from the free-throw line (55.9 percent).