Middle girls swim team makes history with first CAL title
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LIVE VIDEO STREAM: Boys hoops – Cape May Tech @ Wildwood 7pm 1/22/19
January 22, 2019

VIDEO, PHOTO GALLERY: Middle sweeps Lower on special night

Middle Township's Matt Marino drives to the basket against Lower Cape May's Pat Moore.

  • Middle Township's Miles Sapp secures a loose ball as Lower Cape May's Ronnie Jackson and Dave Durham also each hit the floor.
  • Middle Township's Matt Marino drives to the basket against Lower Cape May's Pat Moore.
  • Middle Township's Marcus Pierce shoots over Lower Cape May's Tom Gault.
  • Middle Township's T.J. Harris secures a rebound in the first half against Lower Cape May.
  • Lower Cape May's Helena Roesing looks to get off a shot against Middle Township's Victoria London.
  • Lower Cape May's Annabella Halbruner shoots over Middle Township's Victoria London.
  • Lower Cape May's Winter Favre secures a rebound.
  • Middle Township's Sophia Ternik battles for a rebound with Lower Cape May's Helena Roesing (background) and Molly McGuigan.
  • Middle Township's Kira Sides pulls up for a short jump shot.
  • Middle Township's Maddie Barber holds her dribble against Lower Cape May's Winter Favre.
  • Middle Township's Aubrey Hunter gets off a shot in the lane.
  • Katie Herlihy of Middle Township goes to the basket for two of her 11 points.

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — A comeback victory by the boys team finished off a great night for the Middle Township High School basketball community Monday.

Matt Marino sank a critical three-pointer with less than two minutes to go in overtime and Middle survived a desperation heave from 35 feet away at the buzzer that nearly found the basket in a 46-44 victory over rival Lower Cape May.

The win capped a special evening at Middle, which honored the back-to-back state championship boys and girls teams from the 1990s prior to the game. As part of the ceremony, the school also retired the uniform number of 1993 graduate Stephano Anderson.

And before those ceremonies, Middle pulled away from a pesky Lower side in the girls game, 45-29.

Miles Sapp’s putback with seven seconds to go in regulation sent the boys game to overtime at 40-40. After the teams failed to score for the first two minutes of the extra period, Marino knocked down a right baseline three-pointer with 1:53 to go to give Middle the lead for good.

“Matt was struggling all night and when we went to overtime he kind of had his head down on the bench and I told him to stay with it, that he was going to hit a big one for us and he did,” Middle coach Anthony Farmer said. “It was huge for us.”

Marino had been 0 for 5 on three-point attempts prior to his important make.

“Like Coach said, you have to stay confident,” Marino said. “I was missing a lot but my teammates were encouraging me to keep shooting the ball and that’s what helped the most. Without them helping me and encouraging me, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to make the big one.”

Middle missed enough free throws to allow Lower Cape May to stay in the game at the finish. The Caper Tigers (11-3) nearly stole victory at the buzzer of overtime but Pat Moore’s 35-footer bounced off the rim.

The win was the third straight for Middle (5-9), which received a game-high 23 points from Marcus Pierce, who hit a monster three-pointer late in regulation to aid the Panthers’ comeback from a five-point deficit going into the fourth quarter.

“We have a little win streak going,” Marino said. “We’re going to play Wildwood Catholic Wednesday and we need to prepare for that and just keep getting better.”

Lower’s Martin Anguelov, who entered the game averaging better than 23 points per outing, was limited to 10 points by Middle’s defense, led by A.J. Baez’s tight man-to-man defense. Anguelov had zero field goals in the second half and finished with just 10 points.

“I think you have to give our guys credit,” Farmer said. “A.J. got up on (Anguelov) and made it tough on the kid. We were fortunate that he had a few clean (looks) that didn’t go down, too. But overall I think you have to give us credit. We did a very, very good job on the kid. He’s a really good player.”

Dave Durham led Lower Cape May with 14 points. Moore was also in double figures with 10 points.

Lower made only 3 of 9 free-throw attempts in the fourth quarter.

Sapp finished with 10 points and 14 rebounds for Middle.

In the girls game, Kira Sides netted 13 of her game-high 17 points in the second half to lead Middle Township (10-4), which led from start to finish. Kate Herlihy was also in double figures with 11 points and Maddie Barber chipped in with nine.

Winter Favre sank nine points for Lower (5-8).