Sea Devils Drop Tight Battle to Fayetteville Tech

Cape Fear Community College jumped out early and held the lead for much of the night, but Fayetteville Tech closed strong in the fourth quarter to hand the Sea Devils a tough 69-66 loss on Friday in the Schwartz Center.

The Sea Devils came out firing in the opening quarter, building a 21-9 advantage behind strong defensive pressure and efficient shooting. Cape Fear carried that momentum into halftime with a 37-28 lead and continued to stay in front through much of the third quarter.

Fayetteville Tech responded with a strong push after the break, trimming the deficit by outscoring Cape Fear 21-15 in the third. The Trojans then completed the comeback in the final period, edging the Sea Devils 20-14 in the fourth quarter to steal the win late.

Kelize Velez-Galan led all scorers with 26 points, knocking down seven three-pointers in the effort. Cara Trippett continued her strong stretch of play with 17 points, including five made threes of her own. Jaeden Hudson added 12 points and five assists, while Yamorie Hardison posted 11 rebounds and seven assists to help anchor the Sea Devils on both ends.

Head Coach Felecity Havens credited her team for battling through adversity, noting the challenge of playing nearly the entire game without one of the team's top scorers. Havens also highlighted Trippett's recent impact, saying she has stepped up in a major way by playing heavy minutes and consistently bringing great energy.

Cape Fear drops to 11-6 overall and 9-6 in Region 10 play. The Sea Devils return to action Saturday at home against Richard Bland College, with tipoff set for 1 p.m.