Elleby, who is averaging 18.8 points, scored a season-low eight points, although he made a crucial foul shot late in the game. Still, the Crusaders ran their record to 9-2, thanks to some strong work from senior center Tre Parker (13 points) and a boost from the bench.
Reserve Ryan Colone, a junior forward, came off the bench to score 11, all in the first half. Delsea also got a good game from reserve guard Brandon Williams and solid play from seniors Kyle McCulley and Bobby Lanzolotti.
"I looked at this game as a chance to see where we're at," said Freeman, whose team has won nine of 10, with the only loss by a 50-48 score to unbeaten Westampton Tech at the Boardwalk Classic in Wildwood. "I think we're a pretty good basketball team. I believe it and the kids are starting to believe it."
Delsea, which hasn't won a division title since 1997, looms as a strong contender in the Tri-County Royal. The Crusaders also could be a major factor in what promises to be a wide-open South Jersey Group 3 race.
Impact player. Shawnee senior guard Dan Mumford has made an immediate impact for the Renegades, scoring 49 points in his first two games.
The 6-foot Mumford, who enrolled at Shawnee in September after spending the first three years of his scholastic career in Florida, was declared eligible by the NJSIAA on Wednesday. He scored 26 points on Thursday night in an 84-72 victory against Cherry Hill West and added 23 on Saturday in a 64-49 victory over Cherry Hill East.
"The best thing about him is that he's made everybody else better," Shawnee coach Joe Kessler said of Mumford. "He's got people excited. He's been a breath of fresh air."
Kessler describes Mumford as a "scorer" with offensive skills that compare favorably with the best players in South Jersey.
