EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — For the third straight season, the Mainland Regional High School girls basketball team are Cape-Atlantic League champions.
The Mustangs brought home a trophy after a 61-52 victory over Wildwood Catholic High School in the final round of the CAL tournament.
Senior Kasey Bretones led all scorers with 23 points and added another eight rebounds to her stat sheet. Bella Mazur had clutch shots that kept Wildwood Catholic at bay as she ended the game with 19 points.
The Mustangs led 35-26 at halftime and maintained that lead for the rest of the game. Every time Wildwood gained momentum, the Mustangs shut the door. Their defense forced turnovers at key moments and turned them into buckets.
Mainland made the final round after Mazur scored 28 points against Middle Township High School in the semifinals. The Mustangs pulled away in the second half in the 59-38 victory Feb. 13. The second half was pure dominance as Mainland ended the game with a 28-13 run.
The three-time CAL champions improved their record to an incredible 25-1 this year. Next up for the Mustangs is the NJSIAA Tournament. Mainland earned the number one seed in the South Jersey Group III bracket, meaning all of their games in the tournament will be at home.
Toms River South High School will be Mainland’s first opponent on Feb 22. Tipoff is at 5:30 p.m. right after the Mustang boys first playoff game.
The girls’ next game would be Feb. 27 against the winner of Hammonton versus Timber Creek.
Since both basketball teams are the TOP seeds in their respective brackets, they will play double-headers at home as long as the two dominant teams continue winning. A lot of playoff basketball is on the docket for the Mustang Corral.
In their recent games, the Mustangs had to win in different ways.
Against Middle Township, Mainland had only a 6-point lead at halftime. Mazur led the rout in the second half, and she was followed by Sydney Stokes and Ava Mazur with 11 points each. They out-rebounded Middle Township and left little room for a comeback to form.
What makes the Mustangs so devastating this season is any of the starting players can take over the game. Bella Mazur had 28 points versus Middle Township right after her sister Ava Mazur made seven first-half three-pointers the game prior in the CAL tournament.
Bretones is the Mustangs’ leading point scorer this year and sometimes does not need a huge game for her team to win thanks to the strong starting lineup. She did take matters into her own hands against Wildwood Catholic with 23 points.
Mainland started with a decent lead but played to a 26-26 tie in the second half. The Mustangs controlled the game through great ball movement. They stayed strong through Wildwood Catholic’s runs and closed the deal on the CAL championship.
This playoff run will be the last one for many of the Mustangs’ key contributors. Bretones, Stokes, both Mazur sisters and Morgan O’Brien are all seniors who will graduate in the spring. Their climb for another South Jersey title begins Feb. 22.
By WILLIAM TRUITT/For the Sentinel
