VIDEO: Cronin’s big first half sparks LCM to shockingly dominant opening-game victory

Posted: December 18th 2024

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

ERMA – Lower Cape May Regional High School boys basketball coach Scott Holden said he ran quite a few scenarios through his mind on how he thought Tuesday’s season opener would go against Atlantic County Institute of Technology.

None of those scenarios included his team holding a 41-point lead at one stage of the game against an ACIT team that brought back two of its top three scorers from a season ago.

“I had every scenario in the book go through my head and that was not one of them at all,” Holden said after his team eventually posted a 62-30 in the season opener for both teams.

Senior Mason Cronin, the only true forward in a Caper Tiger rotation full of guards, was a major reason why Lower Cape May ran out to such a big lead. The 6-3 Cronin scored 12 of his 14 points in the first half, drew two offensive fouls and came up with numerous rebounds and loose balls as the Caper Tigers raced to a 41-18 halftime lead. That advantage was established mostly through an incredible 21-0 run that saw Lower take a 32-11 lead at one point of the second quarter after the teams were tied at 11-11 midway through the first period.

“As far as offensive output or scoring, that’s the best I’ve ever seen Mason play,” Holden said. “He’s just as happy having five points and giving five assists. He’s one of those guys who has to pick his spots to try to score and tonight he got a lot of chances to put the ball in the hole and he did.”

Junior guard Ty Bonner, who finished with a game-high 22 points, then sparked a 12-0 run to start the second half by scoring nine points during the surge. He opened the second half with a three-point basket before scoring three other field goals on drives into the lane.

The final 1 ½ quarters of the contest were played under a running clock, as Cape-Atlantic League rules mandate when the margin reaches 35 points.

Sophomores Ryan Mallon and Cole Sederland also made their mark. Mallon added nine points and Sederland chipped in seven points off the bench.

“We shot the ball well and that’s what happens when you move the ball and make the extra pass,” Holden said. “We only had four three-pointers and we didn’t attempt that many and that’s because we were getting so many close-range shots. That’s a good sign.”

Lower Cape May moved up to the CAL’s National Conference after winning the United Conference last season. The Tigers hope to again compete for a conference title despite moving up to face what is, in theory, tougher competition. Holden was encouraged by the result of Tuesday’s game but went no further.

“Let me go through the first round of games against everyone else and then I can probably answer how I feel about how our team fits in the conference,” he said.

Lower is next in action Thursday at Cedar Creek.