VIDEO: Shots don’t fall as Crusaders nipped by Prep in Crest Savings Bank Game of the Week

Posted: December 20th 2023

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com 

NORTH WILDWOOD – Any high school basketball game can be analyzed dozens of different ways.

But sometimes, the result of a game can come down to whether a team simply makes shots.

On Wednesday, Wildwood Catholic didn’t convert enough of them and squandered an opportunity to upset one of the Cape-Atlantic League’s top programs, suffering a 42-38 loss to St. Augustine Prep in the Crest Savings Bank Game of the Week.

“I hate stating the obvious but sometimes the ball doesn’t go in the net for you,” Wildwood Catholic coach Will Wareham said.

The Crusaders made just 3-of 25 shots from three-point range in the loss.

“Out of those 25 shots, there were probably 10 of them I’d rather not have had us take,” Wareham said. “You can’t do that against a team like the Prep. They’re going to make you pay for that.

“I do want our guys to want to shoot the ball and I don’t want to take away their aggressiveness but that’s on us as coaches to teach more of what’s a good shot and what’s a bad shot.”

Wildwood Catholic held a 13-9 lead midway through the second quarter but St. Augustine closed the half on a 12-2 run to take a 21-15 lead into the break, before scoring the first five points of the third quarter to go ahead by 26-15. 

The Hermits (3-1) later led by as many as 12 points at 32-20 but the Crusaders rallied. Wildwood Catholic closed to within two at 35-33 with a little more than three minutes to play and came within an inch or two of taking the lead, only to see Charlie Dunner’s right-wing three-point shot go in and out. St. Augustine responded with four straight points to go back up by six and Wildwood Catholic never truly threatened again.

“That little spell right there was the difference,” Wareham said.

St. Augustine got much of its offense from an unlikely source, as junior guard Joey Peacock came off the bench to lead all scorers with 16 points. He had 11 in the second half. Peacock accounted for six of his team’s 14 field goals in the game.

“We had a chance but that’s a varsity experience-laden team over there,” Wareham said. “I know they had some kids transfer out, but collectively their guys have more varsity experience than our guys do.” 

Dunner paced Wildwood Catholic (2-2) with 12 points. Alex Daniel added eight.

Wildwood Catholic is next in action Saturday against Hightstown at the Boardwalk Basketball Classic.