VIDEO: Cape Tech pulls away for Boardwalk Classic title

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

WILDWOOD — Emily Pasceri’s early outside shooting and the team’s late collective composure gave the Cape May Tech girls basketball team a signature victory Friday evening.

Pasceri made 4 of 5 three-point shots, with three of the makes coming in the opening quarter, to finish with 16 points to lead the Lady Hawks to a 40-37 victory over St. Dominic Academy in the Tony Calogero Memorial Girls Bracket title game at the Boardwalk Basketball Classic.

The tournament championship is the first for Cape May Tech since winning at the Boardwalk Classic in 2011.

“We really played together,” said Cape May Tech coach Amber Waddington, who celebrated her 30th birthday one day prior. “We figured out how to put together a whole game. We came in here knowing our job was defense and that the offense would come if we played good defense.”

Liza Pellini’s three-pointer with 1:35 to play broke a 34-34 tie and gave Cape Tech (2-3) the lead for good.

Pellini later picked up a key steal with her team up two points with less than 30 seconds to go. She eventually made a free throw to increase the lead to three, and St. Dominic never got off a potential game-tying shot in the waning seconds.

Pellini finished with 19 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots — all game highs. Kennedy Campbell and Delaney Larkin each collected nine rebounds.

Cape May Tech out-rebounded St. Dominic (3-3) by 49-35.

“Every timeout we have, every time I get a chance to talk to them during the game, they are 150 percent all ears,” Waddington said. “They understand what we’re asking of them and they know what’s expected of them. I couldn’t ask for a better group of girls.”