Boys beat cross-bay rivals in league matchup
The Shelter Island School boys varsity basketball team earned a big 58-49 league victory on their home floor over their rivals from Greenport on Saturday.
Coach Jay Card Jr. felt it was imperative that his team win at least two of the three league games scheduled during the week and his team responded well to the challenge.
The Indians jumped out to a 14-10 first quarter led with four of the five starters scoring. Both teams scored 14 points in the second quarter, leaving the Indians with 28-24 halftime advantage.
Junior Billy Boeklen scored 8 of his 13 points in the first half, hitting two 3-pointers. He also had a season high 9 rebounds and 4 assists.
The game turned exciting in the second half. After a poor start, the Indians went on a scoring frenzy, totaling 22 points in just over 6 minutes. Junior Tristan Wissemann played at a high level, scoring 15 of his game high 27 points, including two clutch 3-point shots and a sensational driving lay-up from the left side as he was fouled hard before going to the floor. He got up, made the free throw and helped his team to a 50-35 advantage.
The Porter’s senior guard, Timmy Stevens, ended the third quarter by hitting a 55-foot shot from the backcourt, cutting the lead to 12 points and putting life back into his team.
The final period proved to be a nail biter, with the Indians beginning to struggle offensively. The Porters played hard resulting in 5 critical turnovers by the Indians. The lead dwindled to just 4 points before the home team caught fire. Senior guard Sawyer Clark hit his biggest shot of the year late in the game, finishing with 10 points and 4 assists for his team.
The play that sealed the game involved a long pass from Boeklen in the backcourt to Wissemann breaking long for an easy lay up. Summing up, Junior Semaj Lawrence contributed 8 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Jack Kimmelmann played a solid game grabbing 3 rebounds, 2 steals and handed out 2 assists.
Both Johnny Sturges and Peter Kropf came off the bench to help their team. And yes, once again, it was Wissemann who provided leadership and intensity to energize his team. He shot 10 for 16 from the floor and 5 of 6 from the foul line. His game high 12 rebounds rounded out his overall outstanding performance.
Although the Indians posted a 9-point victory, this game was filled with plenty of offensive swings and excitement. Once again, the hometown crowd served as the sixth-man for the Indians, with all four of the team’s wins on their home court.
In the locker room after the game, Wissemann said “a win, is a win,”meaning it may not have been pretty but the team held it together. Coach Card also echoed the same feeling, proud of his team’s effort throughout the game.
The Indians travel to Stony Brook on Tuesday, January 20 for a 4:30 p.m. tip-off and will host Southold on Friday, January 23 for a 5:45 p.m. varsity start.
The team looks forward to a big hometown turnout for Friday’s game.
