Hurricanes Edge Cape Fear

In their fourth game in six days, Cape Fear Community College dug itself an early hole and couldn't quite climb all the way out in a 74-64 loss to Louisburg College on February 18 in Wilmington.

Louisburg came out sharp, building a 25-9 lead after the first quarter and extending it to 50-25 by halftime. Cape Fear struggled to find its rhythm offensively in the opening half, shooting just 36.5 percent for the game and 4-of-18 from three-point range.

But the Sea Devils showed resilience coming out of the break. Cape Fear erupted for 24 third-quarter points, tightening up defensively and attacking the rim to chip away at the deficit. The energy shift carried into the fourth as the Sea Devils pulled the game back within a few possessions late, forcing Louisburg to execute down the stretch.

Kelize Velez-Galan led the way with 22 points and 14 rebounds, battling on the glass with six offensive boards. Cara Trippett added 19 points, knocking down three three-pointers, while Yamorie Hardison matched her with 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Despite the balanced scoring effort, 17 turnovers and Louisburg's 46-34 rebounding advantage proved costly.

"We didn't come out the way we needed to, especially against a team like that," Havens said. "I'm proud of the way we fought back," she said. "To be down 25 and still bring it within a few possessions shows a lot about this group. It would've been easy to fold, especially playing our fourth game in six days, but they didn't."

Cape Fear returns to the court Friday as they battle Southwest Virginia. Game time is set for 5:00 pm at the Schwartz Center.