PORTLAND — The last time Cape Elizabeth played in a regional final, no one on the current Capers’ roster had been born.
Not since 1996 has a regional final included the Capers. That all changed Thursday when ninth-seeded Cape Elizabeth kept its Cinderella run through the Western Class B tournament run alive with a 61-47 victory over No. 5 seed Lincoln Academy at Cross Insurance Arena. The Capers (12-9) will play Greely in the regional final.
“We’ve finally clicked,” Cape Elizabeth coach Christine Casterella said. “It’s the kids. So many team’s I’ve had, amazing kids — they work their butts off — but they have this fear. It’s getting a lead and looking over your shoulder and here comes the run. These kids aren’t fazed. They’re not fazed by the moment.”
Cape Elizabeth senior Hannah Sawyer is a big reason why the Capers will play for a regional title. The 5-foot-10 forward set a new Western Class B tournament record for most 3-pointers in a game with seven. She surpassed Gray-New Gloucester standout Haylee Cote’s previous record of six set in 2012. With eight 3s through two games, Sawyer has matched the Western Class B record for most 3s in a regional tournament. She now holds that record with five other players.
All of this in a building in which she’s not accustomed to shooting.
“It was a nerve of mine coming in, but I just tried not to think about it and just try to use my muscle memory and try to do what I know how to do,” Sawyer said.
Sawyer had all seven of her team’s 3-pointers. She hit her first of the game to give the Capers a 3-2 lead early in the first quarter. Cape Elizabeth never relinquished that lead.
After hitting two 3s in the first quarter, she connected on three more in the second. Her fifth of the half gave the Capers a 30-13 lead with 2:40 left in the second quarter.
Cape Elizabeth led 35-22 at halftime.
“We take it one game at a time,” Sawyer said. “The team just does such a good job of working together. We take it one play at a time. If we make a bad play we move on. Every game we’ve done that and it’s worked for us, so now we just need to take the next one and practice hard and take Greely as they come.”
Her last two 3s came in the third quarter. She hit her first shot of the second half to push Cape Elizabeth’s advantage to 16. Her final 3 of the night put the Capers in front 45-30.
She finished with a career high 28 points. Her original career high was 21 points against York as a sophomore.
Sawyer was joined in double figures by teammate Montana Braxton, who finished with 10 points — nine coming in the first half.
The Eagles (14-6) got as close as 49-39 with 6:18 left after consecutive baskets by Leslie Sandefur. But the Capers responded with an 11-2 run to seal their spot in the regional final.
“We’ve been playing for something every game,” Casterella said. “I don’t think any of us saw ourselves in the Western Maine final game. I think it comes from their approach and they’ve all bought into it. You see it out on the court. They make a bad pass and they don’t hang their head, they move on.”
Sandefur led Lincoln with 11 points.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
