Boys Basketball: A fight to the finish for Indians in Harbor

The boys varsity basketball team traveled to Sag Harbor Tuesday to take on the Whalers. Coach Mike Mundy told his players that they needed to compete with “more heart and hustle” at Monday’s practice. The varsity team had been struggling both offensively and defensively in its previous three games. Apparently, the “heart-to-heart talk” paid off and the Indians came ready to play.

Although the team trailed 13-9 at the end of the first quarter, it was very clear that all eight team members were determined to play hard and take pride in wearing the Shelter Island uniform. Each one scored and played solid defense throughout the game.

The Indians enjoyed a brief lead late in the second quarter, holding the Whalers scoreless for more than 7 minutes. Nevertheless, the score was tied at halftime 17 all.

The mood in the locker room at halftime was positive and the players realized that their efforts were paying big dividends on the court.

During the second half, the Indians fought back and enjoyed a 3 point lead, 28–25, by the end of the third quarter. Senior tri-captain Alex Graffagnino hit a huge 3-point shot and then converted both free throws on the next Indian possession to put the team back on top 35–30.

The team committed several critical turnovers late in the game, which proved costly. The score remained close until the final minute of play; the Whalers earned a 45–41 victory on their home court.

The Indians were led by senior tri-captain Jimmy Read, who had a team high of 8 rebounds, 3 steals and 5 assists. He also contributed 7 points. The team scoring leader for the second time this season was junior center/forward Wyatt Brigham, who had 11 points. The players know that they need to work extremely hard at both ends of the court and cut down on turnovers in order to be successful this year. But the effort they put into this game should serve as a building block.

The next game is on Friday, January 6, at home against Ross School. Both the girls varsity at 4 p.m. and boys varsity at 5:45 p.m. will be in a rare doubleheader against Ross. Hopefully, the hometown fans will be out in force to support their two varsity teams.