Varsity boys drop home game to Pierson
The 2018-19 Shelter Island School boys varsity basketball team. Front row, from left, Luke Liszansckie, Keith Taplin and Nico Seddio. Back row, from left, Coach Jay Card Jr., Dan Martin, Jack Vargas, Erik Thilberg, Walter Richards, Mason Marcello, Nick Young, Lucas Quigley-Dunning and Assistant Coach Peter Miedama.
After losing by a wide margin to Greenport earlier in the week, the Shelter Island varsity boys basketball team was more competitive against Pierson on Tuesday evening.
But the result was the same. The Whalers defeated the Indians 63-51 behind an exceptional performance by guard Henry Brooks.
Brooks scored 13 of his 33 points in the second period as the Whalers built a 9-point halftime lead. Shelter Island trimmed the lead 49-42 at the end of the third, but Pierson buckled down on defense, limiting the Indians to just 9 points in the fourth quarter to claim their seventh win of the season.
For Coach Jay Card Jr., it was a game defined by missed opportunities.
“We turned the ball over too many times and we missed too many free throws,” he said afterward. “You can’t do that and expect to win.”
Shelter Island committed 25 turnovers in the game and converted just 6 out of 18 free throw attempts. Dan Martin led the Indians with 14 points. Walter Richards added 12 points and 8 rebounds.
The loss dropped Shelter Island to 5-10 on the season and 3-5 in league play.
To make the postseason playoff tournament, the team needs to win at least two of its remaining four games against Ross, Southold, Bridgehampton, and Smithtown Christian.
“We’ve got to get back in the gym and work for it,” Coach Card said of the upcoming schedule.
The Indians travel to East Hampton to play Ross on January 28 at 4 p.m. before returning to Shelter Island for a 7:30 p.m. game against Southold on January 31.
