VIDEO: Crusaders pose strong challenge, but Mainland makes history with third straight CAL title

Posted: February 19th 2024

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP – The Mainland Regional High School girls basketball team just might be in the conversation as one of the Cape-Atlantic League’s best teams of all-time.

The Mustangs added another major accomplishment to their resume by winning the Cape-Atlantic League championship game Saturday, topping Wildwood Catholic, 61-52, at Egg Harbor Township High School.

The championship is the third straight for Mainland, joining Ocean City (2007-2009) and Absegami (2003-2005) as the only programs to win three straight CAL title games.

Count Wildwood Catholic coach Steve DiPatri, who also previously coached at Sacred Heart and has been coaching in the league for more than 25 years, among those willing to anoint Mainland as one of the all-time best CAL teams.

“They’re definitely one of the better ones, and I’ve been around this league a long time,” DiPatri said. “I think the ‘02 Wildwood team, my ‘03 Sacred Heart team, some of the ‘Gami’ teams in there and some of those Ocean City teams were all great. But they’re right up there.”

UMass commit Kasey Bretones, regarded by many as the top player in the CAL, was brilliant for the Mustangs. Named the game’s Most Valuable Player, Bretones scored 23 points, grabbed eight rebounds, dished four assists and picked up three steals to lead the Mustangs (25-1), who remained undefeated against South Jersey competition.

Bella Mazur added 19 points for Mainland, including the 1,000th of her career, which fittingly came off an assist from her twin sister Ava.

Wildwood Catholic did not make it easy for Mainland, however. Trailing by nine at the half, the Crusaders made a strong run in the third quarter behind Kaci Mikulski, who netted 12 of her team’s 14 points in the period, six of which came via a pair of three-pointers. Wildwood Catholic got to within a point in the period before Mainland upped its advantage to seven by the close of the quarter. Mainland then did enough in the fourth quarter – despite shooting just 4 for 13 from the foul line in the period and only 20 for 38 for the game – to keep Wildwood Catholic at arm’s length.

Mikulski finished with 20 points for Wildwood Catholic. Lola McGonigle added 12.

The defeat was Wildwood Catholic’s third of the season to the Mustangs, the only team to beat the Crusaders so far this season.

“We hung tough and gave them a great game,” DiPatri said. “We needed to be a little more aggressive going to the basket. To me, we had the two best teams in South Jersey playing each other. It’s a shame it didn’t go our way.”

Wildwood Catholic finished its regular season Monday with a 68-49 win over Woodbury. The Crusaders led 43-14 at the half. McGonigle scored 24 points and Mikulski added 17 in the win.

Wildwood Catholic takes a record of 23-3 into the South Jersey Non-Public B Tournament.