Shelter Island boys varsity basketball team notches first win at East Hampton tournament

The Shelter Island School’s boys varsity basketball team participated in the Kendall Madison Tip-Off tournament at East Hampton High School Dec.13-14.

The tournament raises funds for the Kendall Madison Foundation, which has awarded over $200,000 to the East End benefiting athletics and student-athletes who are pro-active in the community.

Shelter Island, East Hampton, Ross, and Bridgehampton competed on Friday, Dec. 13, with the championship and consolation games held Saturday, Dec. 14.

Shelter Island has started its season with three league losses (Smithtown Christian, Ross, Greenport)— two of them by less than 15 points — a sharp contrast to prior years.

The Shelter Island Islanders (League VIII) faced the East Hampton Bonackers (League V) Friday night, missing a key player. Sophomore Ari Waife, who has put in significant offseason work and earned a starting spot as a critical offensive weapon in the paint, suffered an ankle injury the night before and was not cleared to play.

Despite this setback, Shelter Island came out strong, trailing by just 7 points at halftime. However, East Hampton’s offensive push led to a 22-point rally in the third quarter, securing their 79-39 victory.

After the game, Head Coach Micheal “Zach” Mundy and Assistant Coach Matt Dunning shared their perspectives with The Reporter. “We had very few turnovers tonight, which has been a problem for us. We were playing great defense, and hitting shots we needed to hit,” Coach Mundy said.

Coach Dunning added, “They were a taller team and we were a big man down, but we were still getting offensive and defensive rebounds. We looked really good in the first half; we just fell apart in the third quarter.”

Following a disappointing loss to the Ross School the previous week, Shelter Island was eager for redemption. Starting Saturday, after a missed 3-pointer by Ross, sophomore Nate Sandwald drove through the wing, finishing with a quick jump stop in the paint for Shelter Island’s first 2 points.

The teams traded baskets, leaving the first quarter tied at 15-15.

Early in the second quarter, junior Harry Clark grabbed an offensive rebound, followed by a pass and screen for sophomore Evan Weslek, who drained a pull-up 3-pointer to give Shelter Island a 3-point lead. Shelter Island maintained the lead throughout the quarter, but a free throw from Ross left them trailing by just 2 points at halftime, 27-25.

In the third quarter, Ross tied the game with an offensive rebound and quick putback, but several defensive steals gave Shelter Island a 6-point advantage by the quarter’s end, 42-36.

Ross battled back in the fourth, cutting the lead to 2 points with a minute left after several missed Shelter Island shots. Ross, already in foul trouble with 18 fouls, played in the bonus all game and began intentionally fouling in the fourth to stop the clock.

A recent Section XI rule change — requiring two free throws for every foul in the bonus — played to Shelter Island’s advantage.

This situation mirrored their previous matchup with Ross, where Shelter Island faced a 5-point deficit with a minute left. Despite forcing transitions and earning 27 trips to the foul line, 17 missed free throws allowed Ross to secure the win. Saturday, however, told a different story.

Senior Harrison Weslek went 5 for 6 from the foul line in the fourth quarter, keeping Shelter Island ahead. With a 4-point lead and just 10 seconds on the clock, Ross banked in a three-pointer from a few steps over half-court but missed a full-court heave at the buzzer. Shelter Island claimed their first win of the season, 54-53.

The Reporter caught up with Coaches Mundy and Dunning after the game. “We finally got over the hump, but it wasn’t our most complete game of basketball,” Coach Dunning said. “Harrison Weslek led the team with 16 points, with his younger brother Evan adding 11. But today was different because everyone contributed, not just the Weslek brothers. Nate Sandwald set the tone early, hitting two threes and consistently attacking the basket. Ryan Sandwald stepped up big time with 8 points and 6 rebounds. Jackson Rohrer played sound defense on key players, while Harry Clark, who took his third charge of the season, had a critical full-court transition layup, finishing with an and-one. Everyone stepped up and played team basketball today but we need to keep that consistency to win games.”

The Islanders face Saint Pius V School at home this afternoon, Wednesday, Dec. 18, at 5:45 p.m.