Topsail hangs on to top Cape Fear Academy
By Tim Hower
Wilmington StarNews Staff
The momentum was slipping away. What was once a 12-point lead was down to one, and Topsail desperately needed a basket.
Like she's done many times in her career, senior Keri White found a way to get open in the corner. Her 3-pointer ended a four-minute scoring drought and helped the Pirates close out 2015 with a 46-44 victory over host Cape Fear at the fourth annual CFA Holiday Basketball Classic on Thursday.
“If I need a game-winner, I'm giving the ball to Keri White every time,” first-year Topsail coach Andrew Ellington said. “I've got 100 percent confidence in her, and I tell her that all the time. When it went up, in my mind I knew it was in. I'm just glad that it went that way.”
The teams were evenly matched, although their styles are different. The Pirates (9-3) had the size advantage and opened the game pressing full court, converting turnovers into points. The smaller Hurricanes (9-1) packed in a zone on defense and relied on eighth-grader Chloe Kernan to carry the bulk of the offense.
A skilled finisher, Kernan showed the ability to hit outside shots as well. She single-handily brought CFA back in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 of her game-high 27 points in the final eight minutes.
Ellington got called for a technical foul early in the third quarter, but his team responded with 15-3 run to take a 37-25 lead after freshman Lauren Caveness converted a fastbreak layup.
“I joked with them after the game, and I said 'Maybe I need to do that more often,' because that was one of the best defensive stretches we've had all season,” Ellington said.
Kernan was determined to get the Hurricanes back in the game. She hit a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter that ignited a 10-2 run. A pair of free throws from Alexa Borstad closed the gap to 41-40 with 3:54 remaining.
After a couple empty possessions from both teams, White ended the Pirates' scoring drought with her second 3-pointer of the game. She finished with a team-high 14 points.
The lead was back to one after a pair of free throws from Kernan with 23.6 second left, but Amberly Wolf calmly sank two free throws of her own to seal the victory.
By Tim Hower
Wilmington StarNews Staff
The momentum was slipping away. What was once a 12-point lead was down to one, and Topsail desperately needed a basket.
Like she's done many times in her career, senior Keri White found a way to get open in the corner. Her 3-pointer ended a four-minute scoring drought and helped the Pirates close out 2015 with a 46-44 victory over host Cape Fear at the fourth annual CFA Holiday Basketball Classic on Thursday.
“If I need a game-winner, I'm giving the ball to Keri White every time,” first-year Topsail coach Andrew Ellington said. “I've got 100 percent confidence in her, and I tell her that all the time. When it went up, in my mind I knew it was in. I'm just glad that it went that way.”
The teams were evenly matched, although their styles are different. The Pirates (9-3) had the size advantage and opened the game pressing full court, converting turnovers into points. The smaller Hurricanes (9-1) packed in a zone on defense and relied on eighth-grader Chloe Kernan to carry the bulk of the offense.
A skilled finisher, Kernan showed the ability to hit outside shots as well. She single-handily brought CFA back in the fourth quarter, scoring 10 of her game-high 27 points in the final eight minutes.
Ellington got called for a technical foul early in the third quarter, but his team responded with 15-3 run to take a 37-25 lead after freshman Lauren Caveness converted a fastbreak layup.
“I joked with them after the game, and I said 'Maybe I need to do that more often,' because that was one of the best defensive stretches we've had all season,” Ellington said.
Kernan was determined to get the Hurricanes back in the game. She hit a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter that ignited a 10-2 run. A pair of free throws from Alexa Borstad closed the gap to 41-40 with 3:54 remaining.
After a couple empty possessions from both teams, White ended the Pirates' scoring drought with her second 3-pointer of the game. She finished with a team-high 14 points.
The lead was back to one after a pair of free throws from Kernan with 23.6 second left, but Amberly Wolf calmly sank two free throws of her own to seal the victory.
