By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Publisher EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — Players on the Absegami girls basketball team have been waiting for this night for the last few years. The first night of the 2014-2015 high school basketball season. The Braves start three seniors and a pair of juniors, the same starting five from last year, and believe this could be the year they challenge for the Cape-Atlantic League title. Their season-opening 49-24 win over host Egg Harbor Township reinforced the notion that Absegami may, in fact, become a legitimate contender by February. Absegami (1-0) went 15-9 a year ago but was a distant fourth in the CAL American Conference behind Holy Spirit, Millville and Atlantic City. The Braves did, however, have the league’s sixth-best scoring defense. Now it seems the Braves have the offense to go with it. Point guard Mary Riggs led the way against the Eagles, scoring 10 points, but overall nine different players scored as the Braves pounded the ball inside and ran away with the game in the third quarter. Haley Drinks of Egg Harbor Township tries to dribble around the defense of Absegami's Mary Riggs. Haley Drinks of Egg Harbor Township tries to dribble around the defense of Absegami’s Mary Riggs. Pietropola and Sodaitis each finished with eight points while Clarke added seven. Egg Harbor Township was led by Ariyana Wilkes and Alyssa Reed, who combined for 13 points. Clarke said the Braves’ game plan was to play at a high tempo and use their height advantage on the low blocks, as well as their speed in transition. “Coming into the game we were all pretty nervous because this is our last first game, so it’s kind of bittersweet. But we held it together and didn’t let them get a lead, and in the second half we just came in and gave it to them,” Clarke said. “We were focused on running the ball and pressing, and getting them tired out, and just running and getting the ball down the court as fast as we could.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays  [adsense]