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Shelter Island School varsity basketball team beats Ross

The Shelter Island School boys varsity basketball team is returning from winter break, having faced the Ross School and Greenport Porters in their first week back. Both games were nail-biters.

This year’s winter recess totaled 17 days, following a hopeful yet disappointing start to the team’s season. The team has struggled to secure wins, pulling off their first victory against the Ross School. While the Islanders have managed to stay competitive in most games this season, they’ve often fallen short due to costly turnovers.

That being said, the break came at a perfect time to reassess and build toward a stronger second half of the season. The Reporter sat down with Coaches Zach Mundy and Matt Dunning to discuss their thoughts coming back from the break.

“This is the best holiday break we’ve had in a very long time. We’ve been working really hard at our defense and boxing out,” Coach Mundy said.

Coach Dunning added, “This is the first time we’ve had 15 guys show up nearly every day. Everyone was ready to work, and we definitely saw improvement.”

The team faced the Ross School on Tuesday, Jan. 7. The last time the team played in Ross’s gym last season they secured their first win in years. So far this season, Ross has defeated the Islanders at Shelter Island’s gym, while Shelter Island claimed victory over Ross at the Kendall Madison Tip-Off at East Hampton’s gym. Every game between these teams has been decided by single digits.

The first quarter of Tuesday’s game began with Shelter Island executing a full-court press. Multiple steals allowed Harrison Weslek and Evan Weslek to score open layups, while Ryan Sanwald and Nate Sanwald each drained 3-pointers, leaving the score at 10-7 in Shelter Island’s favor.

In the second quarter, Ross began to break through Shelter Island’s press, scoring 10 points. However, Harrison Weslek went 6/7 from the free-throw line, along with sinking a 3-pointer and a mid-range jumper, scoring 11 points to give Shelter Island a 21-17 lead at halftime.

After halftime, Ross found momentum in their offense, cutting the deficit to just 2 points. However, Shelter Island’s defense held firm, and the teams tied the quarter at 10 points each, keeping the score 31-27 heading into the fourth quarter.

In the final quarter, Shelter Island used the shot clock strategically and minimized fouls. Both teams traded baskets, but Shelter Island held on to secure a 43-40 victory — their second win of the season.

After the game, Coach Mundy said, “Our defense stepped up in the first quarter, and we found success in transition. In the second and third quarters, we fell apart, but the defense came right back in the fourth quarter and kept us ahead. Towards the end of the game, our foul shooting was awesome. We definitely learned a lot about playing with a lead, maintaining the lead, and using the shot clock.”

He added, “Going into Greenport, we’re going to play our game. Greenport is a very fast team. They love to get out in transition. We played a really good first half against them before the break. We just need to settle in and run our offense.”

Shelter Island faced the Greenport Porters at home on Jan. 9. The Islanders began the game successfully breaking through Greenport’s press but couldn’t convert, as turnovers allowed the Porters to score in transition. The first quarter ended with Greenport leading 15-7.

In the second and third quarters, the Islander’s defense began to find success. Several defensive stops provided offensive opportunities, cutting Shelter Island’s deficit to just 11 points late in the third quarter. However, following a timeout, three turnovers from Shelter Island’s offense allowed Greenport to extend their lead, ending the third quarter 43-27.

In the fourth quarter, Shelter Island scored 13 points in the first six minutes, while Greenport put up 17. With two minutes left, both teams subbed in their bench players, and the final score was 62-40.

Coach Dunning said, “It comes down to mental mistakes and turnovers. Greenport wasn’t playing their best game, and we did a good job on defense and rebounding, but we couldn’t convert those stops into points.”

The Islanders ended the game with 40 total turnovers.

With the second half of the season ahead, the team is determined to build on their progress and continue improving. The Islanders have 10 games left, including matchups at home against the Southold Settlers on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 4:30 p.m., and St. Pius V School on Friday, Jan. 17, at 5 p.m.