The Pleasantville High School varsity boys basketball team improved to 8-3 on the season with a 68-48 victory over Cape May Tech (1-8) on Tuesday, Jan. 16.

Louie Sanchez’s 16 points paced the Greyhounds, who used a 26-4 domination of the third quarter to pull out to a 19-point lead.

The Greyhounds have won five of their last six games and can clinch a playoff berth for the first time in three years with a one win before the Feb. 3 playoff cut-off date.

Teams must be at or above the .500 level on Feb. 3 in order to qualify for the NJSIAA playoffs.

Boys games

Hammonton 53, Absegami 51

The Blue Devils held the Braves to only five points in the third quarter and went on to drop the Braves to 9-3. 

The Blue Devils improved to 8-4.

Kevin Davis paced the Braves with 12 points

Mainland 46, Oakcrest 38

Sean Bannon scored a game-high 17 points and teammate Eric Williams added 15 to lead the host Mustangs past Oakcrest  in a key Cape Atlantic League American Conference Division II game.

Mainland rallied from a 33-30 deficit at the start of the fourth quarter for the win and improved to 6-4.

The Falcons, however, dropped to 6-6 and are 1-5 since Jan. 2.

Egg Harbor Township 54, Lower Cape May 42

The host  Silver Eagles improved to 4-7 behind Steve Costa’s 29-point performance. The junior canned six 3-pointers  for EHT, which held the Caper Tigers scoreless during the third quarter.

Atlantic City 76, Ocean City 50

The host  Vikings improved to 8-3 as Dante Bailey scored 24 points and John White added 15.

The Vikings, who have won five straight games, jumped out to a 34-16 halftime lead and never looked back.

Tri-State Christian League

Atlantic Christian 66, Calvary Christian 46

Rob Puhalski dropped in a game-high  21 points as the visiting Cougars and defending league champions improved to 12-3.

Girls Basketball

Lower Cape May 58, Egg Harbor Township 51

Tinysia Rassman scored 11 points and teammate Brittany Baum added 11, but it wasn’t enough for the visiting Lady Eagles, who dropped to 7-4.

Pleasantville 63, Cape May Tech 23,

Aminah Davis, who scored her 1,000^th career point last week, collected 14 points for the visiting Greyhounds, who improved to 6-5.

Teammate Kierra Walker added 12.

Absegami 72, Hammonton 28

Tara Booker scored  a game-high 27 points and  teammate Sara Mostafa added 16 as Absegami jumped out to a 17-4 first-quarter lead and improved to 9-1.

Holy Spirit 67, Wildwood Catholic 35

Chelsi Johnson led there Lady Spartans in double figures as Holy Spirit won its fifth game in a row to improve to 9-2.

Arielle Froumy added 14 points and Teena Marsh chipped in with 12.

Mainland 66, Oakcrest 39

Lady Mustangs scoring leader Christine Wooding  popped in 15 points and teammate Lauren McPeak chipped in with 14 as visiting Mainland Regional improved to 7-4.

Mainland jumped out to 22-4 lead in the first quarter to take control.

Tri-State Christian

Atlantic Christian 54, Calvary Christian 42

Jasmine Collins ’ magic number seemed to be 14 as the Lady Cougars won and improve to 9-5.

Collins scored 14 points and pulled down 14 rebounds for Atlantic Christian.