Tristan Wissemann leads college team in holiday tournament

Tristan Wissemann, former Shelter Island varsity basketball star and now a junior at SUNY New Paltz, has developed into an outstanding player for the Hawks. Tristan is leading his team to an impressive 6-4 record during the 2018-19 season.

The Hawks have struggled during the past two seasons, but the new coaching staff, now in their second full season, have turned things around.

Tristan averaged 10.4 points per game as a sophomore, shooting 43 percent from the floor, scoring in double figures 12 times last season.

The Shelter Island coaching staff always praised Tristan for his work ethic, both during the season and especially during the off-season. That hard work is now paying dividends, which was evident during a tournament this past weekend at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn.

On December 29, Coach Jay Card Jr. took many of his varsity and JV players to watch Tristan’s game against Medgar Evers, which hosted the Dr. Carol V. DeCosta Go 4 the Goal Classic tournament. It was obvious that the Islander was up to the challenge, leading his team to a hard-fought 98-91 victory, scoring a game high 19 points, shooting 8 of 13 from the field, with six rebounds, four assists and one steal.

It was the first win this season for the Hawks away from their home court. The team committed a total of 23 turnovers which helped keep their opponents in the game. But in overtime, the Hawks scored 15 points, making some big free throws, to help seal the victory.

Coach Keith Kenney expressed his feelings about coaching Tristan to Coach Card and me at the conclusion of the game, appreciating his work ethic, leadership and determination in making the Hawks a playoff team.

The following day, the Hawks won another close contest against the College of New Rochelle by a score of 84-78. Tristan started the game by scoring several shots from inside the paint, but the Hawks were down 38-36 at halftime. But then things turned around for the Hawks.

Tristan went on a tear, scoring a career high 30 points, shooting 54 percent from the floor. In addition, he grabbed seven rebounds and played solid defense. Coach Kenney managed to get all 13 of his players on the court and all of them scored at least 1 or more points. It was a solid team win and truly, a “career game” for Tristan. He was voted to the All-Tournament Team.

He is averaging 15.4 points per game and shooting over 43 percent from the field, exactly half of those shots coming from beyond 3-point arc.

Coach Card, his basketball teams, as well as the Shelter Island community, wish Tristan and his teammates continued success. We are so proud of you, Tristan.