Cape Fear Cruises in First Exhibition Game

Wilmington, NC - Cape Fear men's basketball opened their first exhibition with a 111-45 victory over Hines Prep. Six different Sea Devils scored in double digits.

The Sea Devils jumped out to a large, early advantage, leading 18-3 with 15:23 left in the first half. Points came easy for Cape Fear from the start, and that would continue as the half wore on.

Defensively, Cape Fear's length and movement made it difficult for Hines Prep to execute their offense. When they did score, it was typically off of free throws. The Sea Devils forced eight turnovers in the first half, which resulted in easy points in transition.

Hines Prep would settle a bit as the half wore on, but Cape Fear maintained a large lead. The score would open up midway through the half, when consecutive 3-pointers by Trevor Willis and Alston Davis would extend the lead to 31-10.

Cape Fear would further extend their lead to 43-15 with 7:24 left in the first half. While Hines Prep would get a few points back off of fast breaks, the Sea Devils gave them no opportunity to come back.

Freshman Trae Bryant would cap off the end of the first half, catching an alley-oop and finishing it over a defender's head. Cape Fear would continue punishing Hines Prep off turnovers, and enter the half leading 67-24. Bryant led the team with 13 points at halftime, while sophomore Alonzo Tyson had 11 points and four rebounds.

The second half opened up with both teams trading buckets. As in the first half, however, Cape Fear found it easy to score.

With 14:32, Cape Fear lead 83-24. Even with the victory in hand, the Sea Devils continued to be the aggressor until the very end of the game.

Tyson's 22 points led the way for the Sea Devils. He shot 8-10 from the field, and was a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line. He was a force in the post, and Hines Prep offered very little resistance.

Bryant would be the second leading scorer with 13, while Willis would finish with 12 points, and four rebounds, while shooting 2-3 from the 3-point line. Zaqwaun Matthews, Shaft Parker, and Jerrick Haynes would each score 10 points a piece.

Additionally, Jacque Brown would lead the team in assists with seven, while Matthews would be the team's leading rebounder, finishing with five.

As a team, Cape Fear shot 60.9 percent from the field, and 47.4 percent from the 3-point line. They shot 18-21 from the free throw line, and outrebounded Hines 35-17.

"I thought our energy was really good," said head coach Ryan Mantlo afterwards. "With the few practices we've had [due to Hurricane Matthew], I thought our execution was pretty good. Obviously, we have a lot to work on, but we're excited to get back and watch film, and see exactly what we need to do."

The Sea Devils will play one more exhibition next Thursday, October 27th, where they will face off against Shaw University at 6:00 p.m.

Courtesy of Nick Denning