ERMA — The Caper Tiger boys dominated visiting Pennsauken Tech Thursday evening in the opening quarter of their first-round South Jersey Group II sectional game, then won a close won Saturday to make it to the semifinals.
They were scheduled to play No. 2 seed Camden at 6 p.m. Tuesday, after the Star and Wave went to press.
In their opener, the boys started off strong but periodically let off the gas, allowing their opponents to close the gap.
Fortunately for the Lower Cape May Regional High School team, their early lead proved insurmountable.
The Caper Tigers (23-5) jumped out to a 14-2 lead by the end of the first quarter with a high-pressure, full-court-press defense leading to steals and quick offense. That was combined with some poor shooting by Tech (12-15).
In the second and third quarters, LCMR’s production offensive production dropped while Pennsauken Tech picked up. The Caper Tigers outscored their opponents, but not by much, 8-5 in the second quarter and 10-9 in the third.
LCMR led 22-9 at the end of the half and 32-16 as the third quarter wrapped up.
Tech, the sectional’s No. 14 seed, had its best quarter of the game at the end with 17 points, most of it early, more than matching its tally for the first three quarters, and was able to get within nine points led by James Stout, who finished with 13.
The Caper Tigers, the No. 3 seed in the tournament, finally got back to their earlier push late in the final stanza, scoring 13 points to close out the game with a 12-point lead, 45-33.
Senior Ty Bonner led LCMR with 22 points, including three treys, nine rebounds, three assists and three steals. Teammate John Fernandez added 11 points, six rebounds, four steals and three rebounds.
Ryan Mallon had five points and four rebounds; Cole Sederland three and three; Jose Ramos two and one; and Joe Wareham two points.
LCMR 57
Pleasantville 52
The No. 11 seed Greyhounds gave the Caper Tigers all they could handle Saturday in the quarterfinals, but LCMR came out on top, 57-52. The Greyhounds advanced to the game with a 64-46 upset of No. 6 Overbrook.
Pleasantville (15-12) finished the first quarter with a 16-10 lead, but the Caper Tigers matched that with a 16-10 edge in the second quarter to go into the half tied 26-26.
While the Greyhounds outscored LCMR 22-16 in the final stanza, they couldn’t overcome the 15-4 advantage the Caper Tigers provided themselves in the third quarter.
Fernandez led the team with 20 points and eight rebounds. Sederland was next with 13 points and five rebounds and Bonner contributed 12 points and six rebounds.
Mallon had nine points and four assists and Ramos three points.
Camden (17-10) beat No. 15 Cinnaminson 74-24 in the opening round and topped No. 7 Camden Eastside 98-65 in the quarterfinals. In the other semifinal, No. 4 Middle Township was at No. 1 Haddonfield.
The finals are Friday at the higher seed.
By DAVID NAHAN/Cape May Star and Wave
