The South, Group 2 Tournament begins on Tuesday night as Cinnaminson hosts Cedar Creek in a first round game. Here is our first round playoff preview as the Pirates prepare for the Pirates. Yep, both teams boast the Pirate as their mascot.
#5 Cinnaminson: 18-7
#12 Cedar Creek: 9-11
When: Tuesday, March 1 at 7pm.
Where: Cinnaminson
How They Got Here
Cinnaminson enters the tourney as a five-seed after sitting as high as three in power points in South, Group 2 prior to a three-game losing streak near the cutoff date.
The Pirates opened the season on a 7-0 clip before suffering their first loss of the year to division rival Bordentown. After a second straight loss to Northern Burlington, the Pirates reeled off four in a row to move to 11-2.
The three-game losing streak (Haddonfield, Burlington City, Moorestown) put the Pirates at 11-5. Over the final nine games of the regular season Cinnaminson played at a 7-2 clip to finish the year 18-7 overall and 6-2 in the Freedom, good for second place.
Two of those final seven wins came against Group 4 schools in Montgomery and Rancocas Valley.
Against Montgomery, the Pirates needed a furious comeback in the fourth quarter to overcome a 31-20 halftime deficit at home. A buzzer-beater to end the game by senior Pat McCarthy gave the Pirates the win in what surely felt like a playoff game.
The game against RV, a 69-66 win, was the 18th of the year for the Pirates. In yet another game with playoff feel, the Pirates needed late free throws to stave off a comeback attempt by the Red Devils.
Another of those wins came against Bordentown, 66-57, to keep the Pirates in the Freedom race late in the year. After making statement after statement early in the year, the Pirates made some big ones towards the end of the regular season schedule with the playoffs looming.
Last year, Cinnaminson lost in the first round of the Central, Group 2 Tournament to eventual sectional champion Manasquan on the road, 54-51.
Cedar Creek comes into this contest having lost five of their last six games played. Their regular season finale was a 58-42 setback to Absegami.
The Pirates began the season on a 4-2 clip before losing three in a row to drop them to 4-5. Cedar Creek got their record back above .500 at 8-6, but lost the next four games to fall to 8-10.
Cedar Creek went 1-1 in the final two games of the regular season to finish 9-11 overall and 6-5 in the Cape-Atlantic United Division, good for fourth place.
Cedar Creek had one signature win this season, a 71-69 victory over division rival Pleasantville on February 2. The Greyhounds finished 14-9 overall and 8-3 in the division and earned the eight-seed in the South, Group 2 Tournament.
Last season, Cedar Creek lost in the second round of the South, Group 2 Tournament to Haddonfield, 64-40 after winning the first round game against Pleasantville 62-59.
Previous Meetings
These two teams last met in the first round of the South, Group 2 Tournament for the 2012-2013 season. Cinnaminson came away with a 69-55 victory.
That is the only other meeting between these two programs as Cedar Creek opened its doors in 2010.
Cinn City Sports will have coverage of the first round in the SJ2 Tournament between Cinnaminson and Cedar Creek Tuesday night at 7pm. Be sure to follow us on Twitter for live updates throughout the game.
