By DAVE O’SULLIVAN
Staff Writer
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EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — The seniors on the Middle Township High girls basketball team will have at least one more game in their careers when they open up the state playoffs this week, but on Saturday they played like the Cape-Atlantic League championship game was the final time they would don the black-and-orange uniform.
Mya Robinson, Abbey Cappelletti, Sarah Farrow and Reagen Powell turned in a dominating performance as the top-seeded Panthers won their second straight league title, beating Cape May County rival Wildwood Catholic Academy, 42-35, at Egg Harbor Township High School.
That quartet accounted for 37 of the team’s 42 points and 21 of the team’s 25 rebounds. Wildwood Catholic’s Dani Daley nailed a 3-pointer to tie the game, 18-18, to start the third quarter, but from there the Panthers took over, going on a 13-5 run to close out the third quarter and take a 31-23 lead into the fourth.
“This is everything. We knew we one of the top teams and wanted to get back (to the championship game),” Powell said. “And beating a team like Wildwood Catholic — beating them three times (in a season) is tough, but we just had to focus and do us, and not worry about all the outside stuff and just play our game.”
Robinson had one of the best games of her career, pouring in 16 points while adding five rebounds. It nearly equaled her career-best performance from earlier this season when she went for 17 points and nine rebounds in a win over Our Lady of Mercy Academy.
“It came through me being a senior and wanting to strive through and wanting to play strong to finish out the season,” she said. “We wanted to just play collaboratively and finish off the repeat. (Being a senior) motivates me a lot. Every time I step on the floor, just thinking this could be my last time on the floor and everything I do matters.”
Robinson’s performance was huge considering Farrow was in foul trouble for a good portion of the game, and Wildwood Catholic (19-8, 8-4 Cape-Atlantic League American) was keying on Powell — one of the top scorers in school history with more than 1,200 career points, and counting. Powell still finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
“She was fantastic. That’s how she is, just getting on the ground, all those hustle plays. She was aggressive from the start,” Powell said of her teammate. “It was hard for me to get stuff going because they were on me defensively. I didn’t want to force anything. I wanted to let the game come to me, and if I saw my teammates open I was going to use that.”
Wildwood Catholic made an impressive run through the tournament, beating Absegami, Holy Spirit and Egg Harbor Township despite playing all season without star point guard Lola McGonigle, who is out with an injury. Last year, McGonigle averaged better than 16 points per game and hit a team-high 84 threes.
“We had a game plan from the start and we just really focused on getting help on their main three (scorers). I think we were great on help defense,” Powell said.
Damiya Carter led the way with 13 points for the Crusaders and Lily King and Daley each added 10 points, but Wildwood Catholic got just two points from the rest of the roster as Middle’s defense held the Crusaders to less than 10 points in three of the four quarters.
Robinson said the Panthers (23-4, 9-2 CAL American) did feel some pressure this year, entering the tournament as the defending champion and No. 1 seed, but that the team was ready for the challenge.
“I feel like it’s always tough. And when you keep winning, everyone wants your spot. So we just have to keep fighting for our spot.”
WHAT’S NEXT: Middle Township has a bye in the opening round of the South Jersey Group 2 state tournament and will host either Pleasantville or Cedar Creek in the sectional quarterfinals on Thursday at 5 p.m. Wildwood Catholic has a bye in the first round of the Non-Public B South tournament and will host either Moorestown Friends or Ranney School on March 2 in the sectional quarterfinals.
