OCEAN CITY – The final games of the 2018-19 basketball season in the Cape-Atlantic League were played Saturday in the Dixie Howell Memorial Gymnasium here.
In the AtlantiCare Girls High School Classic, Team Leahy defeated Team Baruffi, 68-44, with Oakcrest’s Ionyonia Alves, the winner of the Pat Dougherty MVP Award scoring 17 points. Zhyanna Young of Holy Spirit added 14 to the winners’ total with Armanee DeBarry of Millville scoring 10. Kayla Sykes of Atlantic Tech led Team Baruffi with eight points. Bella Halbrunner of Lower Cape May and Qeiajae Canty of Atlantic City each added seven.
Team Leahy was coached by Scott Betson of Mainland and Jackie Siscone of Holy Spirit. Team Baruffi was coached by Paul Baruffi of Ocean City and Steve DiPatri of Wildwood Catholic.
In the Gillian’s Wonderland Pier Dixie Howell Memorial Boys Classic, Team DeWeese outscored Team Rodio, 104-88, with Egg Harbor Township’s Jordan Sweeney earning the Dave Lewis Memorial MVP Award with 24 points and a dominant effort on the boards. D.J. Campbell of Vineland, who became only the sixth boys player to lead the CAL in scoring in back-to-back seasons in the last 40-plus years, led all scorers with 32 points for the winners. Zaire Montague of Atlantic City added 16 points and Angelo Barron of Mainland had 10.
For Team Rodio, Andrew Delaney of St. Augustine scored 24 points, Jake LaMonaca of Holy Spirit added 19 and both Corey Blackwell of St. Joseph and Cole Vanderslice of St. Augustine scored 14.
Team DeWeese was coached by Dave DeWeese of Wildwood Catholic. Team Rodio was coached by Paul Rodio of St. Augustine and John Bruno of Ocean City.
Delaney won the boys three-point shooting contest, making 23 of 30 shots. His Prep teammate Vanderslice was a close second with 22 of 30. Mainland’s Caludia Mairone, who holds her school’s career three-point record, won the girls three-point shootout by making 18 of 30, beating Cape May Tech’s Liza Pellini by one shot. In the Three-Point Showdown, Delaney edged Mairone, in overtime, by making 14 of 20 to her 13 for 20.
The three-point contests are the Beth Hartman Memorial Shootouts and each winner received a college scholarship from the Hartman family. Hartman made more than 150 three-pointers in her career at Holy Spirit and later became head coach at Egg Harbor Township before dying of cancer at age 29.
During the two high school games the 25th annual Boo Pergament Awards were presented to the most improved players in the CAL this season. The winners were Ionyonia Alves from Oakcrest and sophomore Gannon Brady of Ocean City.
The Cape-Atlantic Future Stars dominated the two Middle School games over the Camden County CYO All Stars.
The local girls won, 42-11, with Egypt Owens of Vineland scoring eight points and running the offense to won the Yogi Hiltner MVP Award. Quanirah Montague of Atlantic City scored 12 and Jada Elston of Woodbine added nine. Emily Ricci scored six for the Camden County team.
Owens also won the foul-shooting contest by making 16 of 20, to beat Montague by one shot.
The Future Star boys defeated Camden County, 92-51, with Arnaldo Rodriguez of Vineland scoring 20 points to win the Yogi Hiltner MVP Award. Jared DeMara of Egg Harbor Township added 15 for the CAL team, Justin Harper of Vineland scored 12 and Kelvin Underwood of Bridgeton scored 10. Andrew Crawford of St. Rose of Lima and Jake Miller of Resurrection School each scored 14 for Camden County.
Miller also won the foul-shooting contest by making 19 of 20 from the line, one shot better than DeMara.
All awards at All Star Saturday are sponsored by Ocean City PBA LOcal No. 61.
Prime Events All Star Saturday is also sponsored by AtlantiCare, the City of Ocean City, Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, Schoppy Inc., 97.3-ESPN, Ocean City Free Public Library, Ulmer’s Appliance Service, Ocean City Aquatic & Fitness Center and the Ocean City Firefighters.
Below are a series of photos from All Star Saturday.