Shelter Island boys varsity basketball team takes Ross to overtime: Exciting game all the way for the fans

The home-game matchup between the Islanders and the Ross School on Friday, Jan. 24, had been highly anticipated. The gym was rocking with students, families and friends at the culmination of “Spirit Week” at the school.

The teams had already faced each other three times this season, with every game decided by single digits. Shelter Island had won two of those games on the road, while Ross secured one victory on Shelter Island’s home court. This one was a back-and-forth nail-biter all the way, one of the most exciting games of the season.

The first quarter opened with Ross finding an open baseline jumper for 2 points. Shelter Island’s Evan Weslek responded immediately, dribbling down the court and driving through four defenders for a layup. Evan then found his brother, Harrison Weslek, with a bounce pass leading to another layup for 2 points.

On defense, Harry Clark forced a turnover that resulted in another layup for Harrison, who was fouled on the play, adding 3 more points. Harrison earned another trip to the foul line on a drive in transition, but only made one of two shots. Ross managed to shut down Shelter Island’s offense for the rest of the quarter, scoring 8 points and closing the first quarter with a 10-7 lead.

In the second quarter, Harrison continued to power Shelter Island’s offense, drawing a foul in the paint and sinking one of his free throws. He followed this up with a contested mid-range jumper, tying the game at 10 all.

Ross responded with a layup and a 3-pointer, taking a 5-point lead. Both teams struggled offensively for the next three minutes, until Shelter Island’s Kaden Gibbs, freshly cleared for play after an injury, subbed in and drained a corner 3-pointer. Harrison added 2 more from the foul line, bringing the score to 15-15.

A steal by Ryan Sanwald led to another 2 points after he drew a foul on a layup. One last free throw from Evan brought the Islanders’ score to 18, as Ross added a layup and free throw to tie the game at 18-18 by halftime.

The third quarter kicked off with Evan draining a pull-up 3-pointer, followed by a steal from Sanwald, who converted a full-court layup. Harrison then made a fadeaway jumper for 2 more points. Although Shelter Island added another 3, Ross went on their own offensive run, scoring 8 points to bring the score to 26-28, with Shelter Island holding the narrow lead.

In the final quarter, Ross tied the score at 28 after an offensive rebound and put-back. Evan answered with a contested baseline jumper and a foul, adding 3 points. Ross fired back with a defensive steal that led to an open layup and a free throw, tying the game again at 31.

A screen from Harry Clark set up Harrison for a pull-up 3, giving Shelter Island a 34-31 lead with three minutes to go. Both teams clamped down defensively, leaving the score unchanged for the next two minutes. With 50 seconds left, Ross hit a contested 3-pointer, tying the game at 34-34. A Shelter Island turnover allowed Ross to set up for a final play, but a missed midrange jumper sent the game into overtime.

In overtime, defense remained dominant, with neither team scoring for the first minute. Ross broke through with a 3-pointer, taking a 37-34 lead. Harrison responded by drawing a foul on a drive and sinking both free throws, cutting the lead to 37-36. Ross answered with a contested jumper and a putback following a missed Shelter Island rebound, extending their lead to 41-36.

Evan earned two free throws after drawing a reaching foul, making both to narrow the gap to 41-38. A full-court press from Shelter Island forced a turnover, but a blocked layup kept Ross ahead. Intentional fouls sent Ross to the free-throw line multiple times, but they missed key shots.

With 6.8 seconds left, a quick inbound to Evan resulted in a foul. He made the first free throw and intentionally missed the second, but the ball didn’t hit the rim, giving Ross possession. After another foul, Ross sealed the game with two free throws, ending with a 43-39 victory.

After the game, Head Coach Zach Mundy shared his thoughts. “We finally played five quarters of basketball. It was great to see our players in it the entire time,” he said. “But what I really want to highlight is our fans. They’ve been incredible all year, but really stepped it up tonight. We need more of this energy for every home game because the crowd makes the game. The players fed off it and gave everything they had on the court.”

He added, “I think the outcome of the game would have been different if we didn’t go six minutes without scoring at the end.”

The Islanders will face the Smithtown Christian Knights on Saturday, Feb. 1, at noon.