By BRIAN CUNNIFF

Staff Writer

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – On a night when the Middle Township High School girls basketball team’s top players were limited by strong defense from an opponent, the Lady Panthers’ other players showed why the team is one of the most balanced in the Cape-Atlantic League Friday night.

Middle got 12 points from Olivia Schwartz and 11 points, four assists and four steals from Sarah Roberts en route to a 52-44 victory over Cedar Creek in an opening-round game in the inaugural CAL Tournament.

The victory advances Middle, the fourth seed in the tournament, into a semifinal game against top-seeded Sacred Heart on Wednesday at St. Augustine Prep at 7 p.m. In the other semifinal, also at St. Augustine, No. 2 Ocean City will take on No. 3 Holy Spirit at 5 p.m. Spirit topped Atlantic City, 54-48, in the other opening-round game on Friday.

“I think the kids and myself, this new (playoff) format is very exciting, and I think this first year, there’s extra motivation there that we’d like to be the first team to win it,” Middle coach John Leahy said.

The game was close throughout, but Middle took the lead for good against the fifth-seeded Pirates late in the second quarter. The Lady Panthers opened a lead as large as 10 points early in the fourth quarter before a Cedar Creek rally cut the advantage to three points. But Middle shot 18 for 22 from the line for the game, with many of those makes coming in the final six minutes.

“We made a lot of foul shots in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter,” Leahy said.

Middle’s leading scorer, Lauryn Fields, finished with 10 points, getting most of them from the line as Cedar Creek made a concentrated effort to limit both her and second-leading scorer Kristina Startare.

“Sarah Roberts and Olivia Schwartz were fantastic for us,” Leahy said. “They were really denying Lauryn and Kristina, so Sarah ended up with the ball in her hands a lot and she really made some great plays going to the basket. And Olivia really shot the ball well.”

Morgan Stefanski netted 15 points and Krsitine Miller added 12 for Cedar Creek.