By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Publisher GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP — Sierra Shoenewald and Karissa Bourbeau, the only two seniors on Ocean City High School’s girls basketball roster, had that look in their eye after the Red Raiders thumped rival Mainland Regional on Wednesday night at St. Augustine Prep in the semifinals of the Cape-Atlantic League Tournament. They wanted this title, and they weren’t going to be denied. Schoenewald had a monster game Saturday afternoon at Stockton University in the tournament championship, collecting 14 rebounds, and Bourbeau added four points and three rebounds in 14-plus quality minutes off the bench to help lead the top-seeded Red Raiders to a 34-26 win over No. 2 Lower Cape May Regional. Olivia Briggs, a junior forward, paced Ocean City with a double-double, scoring 14 points and adding 10 rebounds. The Red Raiders (21-5) dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Caper Tigers 40-17, including 17 offensive rebounds. It was that work on the offensive glass that helped Ocean City close the game out as Lower (24-2) made one last gasp at a run to get back in the game late in the fourth quarter. Three times in the final 90 seconds, the Red Raiders missed a free throw but got the offensive rebound to gain another possession, forcing Lower to keep fouling to try to get the ball back. But Ocean City’s defense allowed just two points in the final 2:35. 
Ocean City senior forward Sierra Schoenewald looks for a teammate to pass to after collecting a loose ball in the corner during the Cape-Atlantic League championship game on Saturday at Stockton University (Glory Days Magazine photos/Dave O’Sullivan) “The rebounding that we had tonight was just unbelievable. We knew that we had a little bit of a size advantage and we had to take advantage of that down low,” Schoenewald said. “(Briggs and I) came out strong on the rebounds, but it was a whole team effort.” “When you can hit the boards it really adds another dimension to the game, which I think we did today,” Bourbeau added. Junior Nicole Piergross said it was great that the Red Raiders could bring home the title for their two seniors. “I was on the team my freshman year and we lost to Sacred Heart in the second round, so to actually come here and be able to win is an amazing feeling,” Piergross said. “They deserve it. That’s why I think all the underclassmen play as hard as we do, because (the seniors) deserve to experience things like this.” Ocean City’s success came largely because of its ability to contain Lower’s Lauren Holden, the league’s leading scorer. Holden managed just 11 points, including just three in the second half. The teams split their regular-season meetings, and when Ocean City was able to beat the Caper Tigers it was because they held Holden — who averages more than 25 points per game — to just six points in their first meeting. Lower Cape May’s only two losses this season have come against Ocean City. “She’s an amazing player. I’ve played AAU with her the past two years, so we know how amazing she is,” Piergross said. “But we just had to focus on playing our game and playing great defense to be able to beat them because they are such a good team. We executed what we wanted to do really well, and that ultimately led to what we did today.” Bourbeau said sticking with the game plan was the key, which meant getting the ball inside first and looking for ways to score off post passing. That formula worked to perfection in the first half, as Ocean City built a 20-14 lead heading into the break. 
Ocean City players, from left, Nicole Piergross, Nicholl Fenton, Alexis Paone and Karissa Bourbeau celebrate after beating Lower Cape May for the league tournament title. “We really felt confident and motivated throughout the entire game. There were some rough patches, but we wanted to stay strong and stick to the game plan and I think we did that very well,” Bourbeau said. “We stayed composed the entire time, which is very important.” Schoenewald and Bourbeau struggled to put into words the joy they were feeling after winning the tournament in front of a capacity crowd at Stockton. “It’s overwhelming. I can’t believe it. We’ve worked so hard to get here all season. It’s a team effort. We knew coming out tonight it was a neutral court, there was no home-court advantage for either of us. We just played our game and came out victorious,” Schoenewald said. “It’s the best feeling in the world. These girls are my sisters, we are one family. It’s the best feeling being able to share it with them.” “It’s indescribable, it really is. I was here my freshman year, and unfortunately we lost. But to come up with a win today is really indescribable,” Bourbeau said. “It’s just the greatest feeling. Hopefully we can continue moving forward through the state (playoffs). Right now we’re going to enjoy this.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays [adsense]
Ocean City dominates paint to beat Lower Cape May, capture CAL tournament championship
