Basketball Opens Season with 83–61 Win

Cape Fear Community College men's basketball kicked off the 2025–26 season with an impressive 83–61 victory over Southern Crescent Technical College on the road, showcasing a balanced and disciplined 40-minute effort.

The Sea Devils jumped out early, building a 44–27 lead by halftime behind sharp shooting and tenacious defense. Southern Crescent made a few runs in the second half, but Cape Fear's consistency and team effort proved too much, as the Sea Devils held firm to close out a convincing 22-point win.

MJ Rice led Cape Fear with 18 points and a team-high 11 rebounds, shooting 5-of-7 from the field and a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Malachi Simpson contributed 12 points, including three highlight dunks, and was a force defensively with four rebounds. Jadyn Cooper added 11 points, seven rebounds, and two assists, while Jadyn Cooper made a significant impact defensively, leading the team in steals.

Other contributors included JJ Moore with 10 points, six assists, and four rebounds, and Eli Hawk, who tallied five points, four rebounds, and two assists off the bench. The Sea Devils shot 58.3% from the field, 61.5% from three-point range, and 95% from the free-throw line, dominating Southern Crescent's 25% shooting from the floor.

Head coach Mark Lane praised the team's effort. "It was great to open up the season with a win. Our team really put together a solid 40 minutes. It was a total team effort and a great way to start the year," Lane said.

With the win, Cape Fear improves to 1–0 on the season and will play host East Georgia Community College tomorrow at 5:00 PM, aiming to build on this strong start at home.