By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Publisher BUENA VISTA – Wednesday night was payback time for the Wildwood Catholic girls basketball team. Two weeks ago, Cedar Creek handled the Crusaders rather easily, winning 60-47 in the second regular-season matchup between the teams. Kennedy Johnson and Olivia Rulon made sure that wasn’t the case in the Cape-Atlantic League semifinals at St. Augustine Prep, combining for 39 points as the Crusaders stormed back from a 2-point halftime deficit to beat the Pirates 61-52 and set up an all-Cape May County championship. Second-seeded Middle Township handled No. 3 Holy Spirit, 51-37, in the early game on Wednesday. Johnson scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and although Casey Thomas and Fatimah Blackwell did a pretty good job on her, Johnson’s skills, along with Danielle Sanderlin’s eight points and 12 rebounds, were simply too much. Wildwood Catholic improved to 20-5 and will take on Middle Township (20-5) at noon on Saturday at Stockton College in the championship game. Cedar Creek fell to 
Holy Spirit’s Natalie Neiderhofer drives to the basket against Middle Township defender Julianna Riggitano. Middle Township 51, Holy Spirit 37: The Panthers started the game with a 7-0 run and never looked back, cruising past the Spartans an into the finals. Lauryn Fields led the way with 16 points and four rebounds and Lauren Legler added 13 points, six rebounds and four assists. Middle Township’s defense was outstanding, as the Panthers held Holy Spirit to single-digit scoring in each of the first three quarters. Holy Spirit finally got going in the fourth, outscoring Middle 20-14, but the damage was done. Sarah Shields and Natalie Neiderhofer led the way for Holy Spirit with nine points each and Summer Crilley added six points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots. Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays [adsense]
Crusaders get payback, set up all-Cape May County final in CAL playoffs
