the Cafe
 |
     |
Tech Boys Beat Cape,
Keep North Title Hopes Alive
By DAVID MAULL, TV Times
Leading Seaford by only a half-game in the race for the Henlopen Conference Northern Division boys' basketball title, Sussex Tech High School has no margin for error during a brutal stretch of games spanning the final two weeks of the regular season.
With Lake Forest, Sussex Central and Caesar Rodney looming ahead on their schedule, the Ravens got off on the right foot Friday night, Feb. 12, 1999, with a 68-54 victory at Cape Henlopen. The win improved Tech's record to 14-2 in the conference and 17-2 overall.
"For us, it's a do-or-die," Tech coach Jerry Kobasa said. "You look down the road and you see where Seaford is and we dug ourselves a little bit of a hole the other night. We've just got to keep playing and keep winning."
Kobasa was referring to Tech's 80-63 defeat at Seaford last Friday, its second loss to the Blue Jays this season. If the two teams finished tied atop the Northern Division standings, Seaford would win the title based on its sweep of the season series. That means Tech has to win the rest of its games in order to capture its first division crown.
The Ravens showed no ill effects from the Seaford loss Friday night and have begun playing like they did earlier in the season, when they reeled off 14 straight wins.
"What I'm happy with is the way we came back because we really did not play well against Seaford," Kobasa said. "The big key was, are we going to fold or are we going to turn around and start playing again? On Tuesday (a 76-40 win over Polytech) and Friday night the kids came together and started playing well again."
On Friday, Tech again was led by junior Brian Polk, who scored 23 points and was a force on the boards all evening. Nine of Polk's points came in the fourth quarter, as the Ravens held off a desperate Cape comeback attempt.
"It's very big because we can't afford to lose any more if we're going to win the whole thing," Polk said. "Since we lost, it makes us want to play even harder, whoever we play next. We've got to play hard every game now."
Brandon Palmer added 13 points and Tynell Tingle 11 for the Ravens.
Cape (8-8, 9-10) was led by Darrell Davis' 15 points. Julius Hazzard, playing in his first game after being declared ineligible the early in the season, chipped in 14 points.
Tech outrebounded Cape 33-24 in the game and used a solid defensive effort to set the tempo early. The Ravens led the game from start to finish and never allowed Cape to get its fast break offense going.
"You don't want any team to get second opportunities," Polk said. "We've got the defense and some offense."
Trailing 29-19 at halftime, Cape reeled off the first off the first seven points of the third quarter. A layup by Hazzard and a short jumper and 3-pointer by Davis got the Vikings within 29-26 just 1:45 into the second half.
But following a timeout, Tech answered with a 15-4 run that put the game away. After a tip-in and a 3-point play by Polk, Larry Bryant converted a 3-point play of his own and Tingle sank a three from the baseline. After Lawrence Walston put in a layup and Tingle drained another jumper, the Ravens led 44-30.
Tech expanded its lead to 15 points early in the fourth quarter and although Cape briefly got its fast break going, it could get no closer than nine points the rest of the way.
Polk was especially impressive down the stretch. After bombing from long range early on, he began driving the to basket more in the second half and helped the Ravens put the game away. After Cape pulled with 54-45 with about five minute remaining, Polk drove the lane for a score, hit two free throws and drained a short jumper in the lane to give Tech some breathing room.
"Early he was hitting from the outside, they started trying some different things on him and he went inside," Kobasa said. "That's what he's got to do. He's starting to grow up a little bit and adjust his game."
Polk sank three 3-pointers in the first quarter to give Tech an early 16-10 lead but was kept in check by Cape the rest of the first half. Palmer, however, stepped up in the second period, scoring eight points, to give the Ravens a 10-point edge at the break.
"Basically, they changed up their defense, so I tried to move my game inside ... and just tried to take the ball to the hoop," Polk said of his second-half performance.
Tingle also sank a pair of 3-pointers for the Ravens.
Tech will play at Southern Division-leading Lake Forest Tuesday night, Feb. 16 in a battle of two of the top teams in the state. It will face Sussex Central at home Thursday, Feb. 18 before closing out the regular season Feb. 23 at Caesar Rodney.
Brought to you by:
Mid-Atlantic Beach Guide
Copyright© 1998-1999 Coastal Images Inc.