Cape Fear vs. Terry Sanford: 5 keys, scouting report for girls basketball playoff showdown

Fayetteville's most anticipated intracity basketball matchup is set for this Friday, March 8.

The No. 2-seeded Cape Fear girls will host No. 3 Terry Sanford in a "Battle of the Blues" in the Elite Eight round of the NCHSAA 3A playoffs.

With both teams ranked in the top-3 in 3A rankings, and top 25 in the state according to MaxPreps, here are both team's accomplishments on the 2023-24 season and a look at keys for both teams' success in this Friday's juggernaut, crosstown playoff game.

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Season accomplishments

Cape Fear (27-1) went 14-0 in the United 8 and became the regular-season champions of their league, then won the U8 in the conference tournament in back-to-back seasons. The Brian Graham-led Colts were champions of the Brenda Jernigan bracket at the Cumberland County Holiday Classic after defeating Richmond.

Terry Sanford (24-5) was undefeated (14-0) in the All American conference and won the regular-season and tournament championships. The Bulldogs also won their bracket versus E.E. Smith in the Latanya Hardy Bracket of the Cumberland County Classic.

Getting the role players going

Rotation pieces are crucial for playoff basketball and role players become just as important as the stars. That's what helps Terry Sanford be as dominant as its been.

The Bulldogs have a deep bench that includes the "Fab Four" freshmen, giving them multiple bodies to throw at the Division I talent of Colts senior Jayda Angel. Cape Fear's bench is not as deep as Terry Sanford's but is still a rotation of about three players off the bench after the recent return of junior Sydney Britt.

Along with fresher legs from a deeper bench rotation come multiple scoring opportunities and more sharing of the ball; another strong suit for the Bulldogs. While both teams average just above 15 assists per game, Terry Sanford holds three scorers who average over 10 points per game (Breonna Roaf, Jaidiah Blake, and Ameya Brown). Cape Fear only has one outside of Jayda Angel, the senior shooter Kaiya Starling.

Starling has had three consecutive games with 20 or more points to begin the playoffs. But if the Bulldogs can get Amya Harrington, Zaniya Reddick, and Rebecca Kaba going, Starling's improving numbers might not be enough.

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Jayda Angel vs. Breonna Roaf

It's no secret that Cape Fear's Elon commit Angel is arguably the best girls basketball player in the state, while it's also a topic about Terry Sanford junior Breonna "CPBree" Roaf as arguably being the best girls point guard in Cumberland County.

The two stars will finally face off against one another and give the city a matchup it's been waiting for.

Angel is the state's leading scorer according to MaxPreps with 34 points per game. She broke Cape Fear's scoring record with 51 points and surpassed 2,000 points earlier this season.

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Roaf is the definition of a true "point goddess." The junior averages 13.9 points for the Bulldogs. While those points are effective for the scoreboard, her facilitation and ability to get her teammates going offensively is the most remarkable asset of her game. According to MaxPreps, Roaf is No. 3 in the state in assists with 7.2 per game and No. 32 in the country.

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Limiting turnovers that lead to transition

For both Cape Fear and Terry Sanford, converting turnovers to points are strong attributes and have contributed to a bulk of their success.

The Bulldogs secure 16.8 steals per game but turn the ball over just as much with 17.6 per game. Cape Fear's Angel does a great job of playing the passing lanes and picking pockets as she averages eight out of the 22.8 steals per game for the Colts. Seniors Anijah Jones and Teralyn Harris are also major contributors with four steals of their own.

Cape Fear only commits 11 turnovers a game, but the Bulldogs are swift and gritty the entire 94 feet of the court, and that pressure also leads to a lot of broken plays and open layups in transition. If both teams can limit one, it can limit the other.

Third-quarter scoring

Getting off to a hot start after halftime can be difficult after resting during those 15 minutes. But for both of these 3A squads, third-quarter scoring has been essential to pulling away from their opponents.

On Tuesday in its third-round matchup versus Southern Durham, Terry Sanford blasted the scoreboard with 37 points in the third quarter to begin the rout. For Cape Fear, scoring big in the second half is nothing new, as the Colts average 20.6 points in the third quarter this season against Terry Sanford's 16.5.

The team who gets off to the hot start after the break will likely have more success down the stretch of the game.

Strength of schedule

One thing Terry Sanford coach Chris Goodman has harped on all season long is playing a tough nonconference schedule in preparation for the postseason.

The Bulldogs' nonconference schedule this season has consisted of the No. 1 seed in the 2A East bracket in North Pitt, the NCISAA 3A Champions Grace Christian, the Class AAA South Carolina state champions Camden, and the NJISAA South Jersey Non-Public B state champions Rutgers Preps and Quality Education Academy — all who have played a part of jelling this Terry Sanford team together.

Cape Fear's sole loss came from their toughest opponent in North Pitt, a team that Terry Sanford beat in the season-opener. The Colts also beat Richmond in the Cumberland County Classic.

While playing your schedule and being responsible for the games you're dealt, when it comes to the fourth round of the playoffs, this becomes a factor down the stretch.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Cape Fear vs. Terry Sanford girls basketball in NCHSAA playoffs scout