BOX SCORE
Cape Elizabeth 45 Yarmouth 27
Y- 6 4 11 6- 27
CE- 10 6 12 17- 45
Y- Haywood 4-2-11, Eckersley-Ray 4-0-9, Cox 2-0-5, Torres 1-0-2
CE- Hartel 6-2-14, Carpenter 4-3-12, Mullen 4-0-9, Conley 1-3-6, Morse 1-2-4
3-pointers:
Y (3) Cox, Eckersley-Ray, Haywood 1
CE (3) Carpenter, Conley, Mullen 1
Turnovers:
Y- 15
CE- 8
Free throws
Y: 2-9
CE: 10-16
CAPE ELIZABETH—It might not be as aesthetically pleasing as Jim Ray might like, but the longtime coach of the Cape Elizabeth boys’ basketball team is happy to take victories any way he can get them this winter.
Monday evening, the Capers hosted Yarmouth and thanks to a smothering defensive effort, never let the Clippers breathe, never trailed and went on to their fourth victory in a row and their fifth in their last six outings.
Five points from senior Tanner Carpenter helped Cape Elizabeth lead, 10-6, after one period.
Neither team could do much offensively in the second quarter, combining for just 10 points, but the Capers managed to stretch their advantage to 16-10 at the break.
In the third period, a driving layup from sophomore Nate Mullen put the hosts ahead, 23-10, but Yarmouth answered with its lone surge of the game, going on an 11-2 run, capped by a layup from senior Noah Eckersley-Ray, to cut the deficit to four.
A Mullen 3 restored momentum to Cape Elizabeth, which took a 28-21 lead to the final stanza.
There, Capers senior Andrew Hartel then took over, dominating on the glass and scoring down low, and Cape Elizabeth pulled away to prevail, 45-27.
Hartel had a game-high 14 points and 13 rebounds, Carpenter added a dozen points and the Capers improved to 8-6, dropping the Clippers to 5-9 in the process.
“I think we’re getting in a groove now,” Carpenter said. “I think we’ve figured ourselves out and everybody is learning their role.”
Doing enough
Cape Elizabeth and Yarmouth have both struggled at times this winter, but each team believes it will be at its best in February.
Yarmouth began the season with a 70-39 home loss to York, then suffered a 45-41 home setback to Freeport. After a 49-41 loss at Fryeburg Academy, the Clippers edged visiting Waynflete, 50-47. Yarmouth then lost at Gray-New Gloucester (58-52), won at Wells in overtime (52-49), fell at Traip Academy (50-45), edged visiting Cape Elizabeth (46-44), dropped a tough 43-42 home decision to Gray-New Gloucester, won at Lake Region, 64-35, and last Monday, fell at home to two-time defending Class A champion Greely, 45-34. Wednesday, the Clippers fell, 55-47, at Waynflete, then Friday, they rallied to down host Freeport, 50-43.
The Capers opened with losses at two-time defending Class A champion Greely (74-62) and Fryeburg Academy (41-39). After a 74-29 home win over Old Orchard Beach, the Capers evened their record by edging host Gray-New Gloucester, 62-55. After a 53-52 home loss to Waynflete, Cape Elizabeth fell at home to Kennebunk, 71-64, and to Falmouth in a game played at the Portland Exposition Building, 54-25. The Capers then won at Westbrook (60-46) and at Brunswick (60-54) and after falling at Yarmouth (46-44), they beat visiting Lake Region, 57-40, host Freeport (46-43) and visiting York (60-52).
Entering play Monday, the Capers had won 24 of 37 meetings dating to the start of the 2001-02 season (see sidebar, below).
Yarmouth looked to sweep Cape Elizabeth for the first time since the 2013-14 season, but the Capers weren’t about to let that happen.
The first points of the game came courtesy Cape Elizabeth senior Matt Conley, who knocked down a 3-pointer, but Eckersley-Ray countered with a 3 for the visitors to forge the game’s lone tie.
With 5:15 left in the first quarter, a jumper from Carpenter put the Capers ahead to stay.
Carpenter then hit a free throw and after missing the second, he got the rebound and put it home to cap a personal 5-0 run and make the score 8-3.
An old-fashioned three-point play (layup, foul, free throw) from senior Ashanti Haywood pulled the Clippers back within two, but a putback from Hartel made it 10-6 Capers heading for the second period.
Fifteen seconds into the new quarter, Eckersley-Ray scored on a short jumper in the lane, but Yarmouth would go cold and score just once more before the half.
After Hartel made a reverse layup, Mullen banked home a shot to make it 14-8.
Late in the quarter, Haywood made a layup for the Clippers, while Conley and Hartel each hit a free throw for the hosts to make it 16-10 Cape Elizabeth at the half.
In the first 16 minutes, Carpenter and Hartel each had five points to lead the Capers, while Yarmouth got five points apiece from Eckersley-Ray and Haywood.
Cape Elizabeth started the second half on a 7-0 run, as sophomore Quinn Morse made a long jump shot, Carpenter converted a three-point play and Mullen drove for a layup and a 23-10 lead.
With 2:48 left in the period, sophomore Will Cox made a 3 for Yarmouth, snapping the Clippers’ 7-minute, 49-second drought.
After a layup after a steal by Mullen, Haywood made a 3, Haywood converted a three-point play and Eckersley-Ray took a pass from Cox and made a layup to cut the deficit to four, but a 3-ball from Mullen stretched the Capers’ lead back to 28-21 heading for the final stanza.
There, Cape Elizabeth finished off its victory.
Hartel produced a double-digit lead 43 seconds into the fourth period with a three-point play and after Eckerlsey-Ray made a layup, Hartel scored on a putback and Carpenter got a 3-pointer to rattle in for a 36-23 advantage with 5:15 left.
Senior Jonny Torres got two points back for Yarmouth with a layup, but Hartel put home a miss, Morse made two free throws and with 55 seconds remaining, a Hartel driving layup ended all doubt and made the score 42-25.
“They boxed me out in the first half and I took that personally and came out strong in the second half,” Hartel said.
Cox scored the Clippers’ final points on a layup, but Conley sank two free throws and Carpenter made one to account for the 45-27 final score.
“This one, we locked it down in the defensive end,” Hartel said. “Our offense was a little stagnant in the first half. When we got to the locker room, we talked about it being Yarmouth, a big rival, a big game, and we knew we had to come out strong in the second half.”
“We closed down the paint and didn’t allow much penetration,” Carpenter said. “We tried to make them go to their left.”
“We were a little better executing offensively tonight,” added Ray. “Our defense gave up just 10 points in the first half. We were able to make them uncomfortable.”
Hartel led the way with a 14-point, 13-rebound performance.
“I feel like (senior) Jake (Rogers) is a good matchup for (Hartel), but he got busted in the nose early and he was pouring blood,” said Yarmouth coach Jonas Allen. “When he went back in, he wasn’t the same. He loves that matchup and wanted to go at him, but was tentative after that.”
Carpenter scored 12 points and had five rebounds.
“I thought they were going to try to close down my jumper, so I tried to attack the basket,” Carpenter said.
Mullen had nine points, three rebounds and three steals, Conley added six and Morse finished with four.
The Capers had a 34-30 rebounding advantage, made 10 of 16 free throws, only turned the ball over eight times and played terrific defense all night.
Yarmouth was led by Haywood, who had 11 points. Eckersley-Ray added nine points and nine rebounds, Cox had five points (to go with eight rebounds and two blocked shots) and Torres finished with two points.
The Clippers turned the ball over 15 times and made just 2 of 9 free throws.
“Our defense kept us in it in the first half, but that wasn’t sustainable for 32 minutes,” lamented Allen. “We’re really struggling to score, but it was much bigger than that today. We really laid an egg in terms of energy. I can’t get mad at guys for missing shots. We had good looks, but my concern today was the complete lack of urgency. It starts with our bench and it goes on the court too. Whoever is in the game, I expect them to play their hardest and whoever is on the bench, I expect them to support those playing their hardest and that didn’t happen today.
“Coach Ray does a great job. He made some adjustments since we played last time. They’re a different team. They’re clearly very hot and playing outstanding. We came out with a not very good effort against a very good team.”
Four left
Each team has four games remaining and is looking to move up the standings.
Yarmouth (now seventh in the Class B South Heal Points standings) returns home and returns to action Friday when it hosts Wells. A trip to Greely and home games versus Poland and Lake Region also loom.
“We’re looking at it one game at a time,” Allen said. “I’m not extremely worried about where we go into the tournament. I worry about how we’re playing when we go into the tournament. The Class B field is so wide open. I want to go in playing well and playing with intensity. If we do those two things, I’ll be happy with whatever seed we get.”
Cape Elizabeth (fourth in Class B South) is idle until next Tuesday when Greely pays a visit. The Capers go to Wells, host Gray-New Gloucester, then close at Poland.
“I think we just need to lock down and play defense and know our roles,” Carpenter said.
“We definitely have to improve on offense and we have to keep grinding,” said Hartel. “We have so many big games. We have a week now to get ready for Greely and we’ll focus on that.”
“It’s got to be a lot better,” Ray added. “Where we’ll end up I don’t know, but we’ve beaten enough good teams to get in. I’ve done this a long time and I know what it takes to contend and we have to be better. Time management, recognition, taking shots we shouldn’t take, not fouling. All the little things that come with experience. We’re gaining experience every game. As long as they stick to the plan and stay focused, hopefully we’ll get better.
“I look at it that we’ll have an hour-and-a-half of practice four times before we play Greely. Greely is Greely. We’ve looked forward to that game since we lost to them at their place. It’s one of the biggest rivalries that Cape Elizabeth basketball has.”
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.
Recent Yarmouth-Cape Elizabeth results
2018-19
@ Yarmouth 46 Cape Elizabeth 44
2017-18
@ Cape Elizabeth 48 Yarmouth 44
@ Yarmouth 71 Cape Elizabeth 55
2016-17
Yarmouth 56 @ Cape Elizabeth 46
2015-16
Cape Elizabeth 50 @ Yarmouth 49 (OT)
2014-15
Yarmouth 59 @ Cape Elizabeth 46
Cape Elizabeth 65 @ Yarmouth 52
2013-14
@ Yarmouth 66 Cape Elizabeth 52
Yarmouth 67 @ Cape Elizabeth 55
Western B quarterfinals
Yarmouth 45 Cape Elizabeth 43
2012-13
Cape Elizabeth 59 @ Yarmouth 50
@ Cape Elizabeth 48 Yarmouth 44
2011-12
@ Cape Elizabeth 40 Yarmouth 39
@ Yarmouth 58 Cape Elizabeth 52
2010-11
Yarmouth 84 @ Cape Elizabeth 61
Cape Elizabeth 61 @ Yarmouth 39
Western B Final
Cape Elizabeth 61 Yarmouth 47
2009-10
Cape Elizabeth 64 @ Yarmouth 56
@ Cape Elizabeth 52 Yarmouth 51
2008-09
Cape Elizabeth 64 @ Yarmouth 48
Yarmouth 63 @ Cape Elizabeth 59 (OT)
Western B quarterfinals
Cape Elizabeth 66 Yarmouth 58
2007-08
@ Cape Elizabeth 71 Yarmouth 50
Cape Elizabeth 55 @ Yarmouth 46
2006-07
@ Cape Elizabeth 62 Yarmouth 36
@ Yarmouth 47 Cape Elizabeth 36
2005-06
Cape Elizabeth 52 @ Yarmouth 37
@ Cape Elizabeth 63 Yarmouth 45
2004-05
Cape Elizabeth 58 @ Yarmouth 44
@ Cape Elizabeth 54 Yarmouth 43
2003-04
@ Yarmouth 56 Cape Elizabeth 41
@ Cape Elizabeth 54 Yarmouth 48
2002-03
@ Yarmouth 45 Cape Elizabeth 40
@ Cape Elizabeth 54 Yarmouth 45
2001-02
Cape Elizabeth 58 @ Yarmouth 56
@ Cape Elizabeth 69 Yarmouth 53
Western B preliminary round
@ Cape Elizabeth 77 Yarmouth 48
Send questions/comments to the editors.
