Men's Basketball Goes 1-1 Over MLK Weekend

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Cape Fear loses at Caldwell 80-100 in Hudson, NC

Cape Fear wins at Gaston 95-80 in Gastonia, NC

In Short VS Caldwell: Friday night's game against Caldwell was a frustrating outing for the Sea Devils. CFCC struggled to find their footing from the opening tip with an abnormal amount of missed jumpers combined with Caldwell's ability to finish when they needed to. Couple that with the excess of turnovers that allowed Caldwell to seize control early and it was not the best showing of the Sea Devils offensively. Despite a second-half surge that cut Caldwell's lead to five with nine minutes remaining, two critical turnovers led to back-to-back three-pointers by Caldwell, which shifted the momentum for good in favor of the Cobras. The Sea Devils were unable to recover, ultimately falling short in a disappointing loss. Head Coach Mark Lane remarked on the importance of maintaining discipline and composure against strong teams and that most of Cape Fear mistakes could be attributed to a lack of mental fortitude, rather than just pure physicality.

In Short VS Gaston: On Saturday, the Sea Devils came out with renewed energy and focus. Despite being down 12 points at halftime, Cape Fear's adjustments and teamwork turned the tides in their favor in the second half of play. The team played selflessly, making critical plays and capitalizing on opportunities.

A major highlight of Saturday's victory was the Sea Devils' exceptional shooting from beyond the arc. The team drained an impressive 16 three-pointers, a testament to their sharpshooting and confidence under pressure. Jessiah Pierre-Johnson was unstoppable in the second half, leading the charge with 23 points—all scored after the break. Jefferson McLamb added a total of 17 points to the tally, and Caleb Gilmore provided a significant spark off the bench with 16 points.

Cape Fear's ability to win 50/50 plays, execute in clutch moments, and convert crucial free throws underscored their mental toughness and ability to bounce back from Friday's loss. "I was really happy on how our guys responded from Fridays game and how we executed when we needed to," says Head Coach Mark Lane. "If we can play like that consistently, we will be hard to beat. Great momentum going into the next conference game."