Shelter Island girls basketball team showing heart

After a 10-day pause from athletics due to the mid-winter break, the Shelter Island 8th grade basketball team was back in action. During the week of Feb. 24 they had three games, with a final three slated for the first week of March.

With Eliza McCarthy cleared to play, the team now has seven athletes. When all players are healthy — not always a given in this mid-winter respiratory infection season — Coach Erin Mulrain Baskin has a small bench, and the ability to rest players as needed. With many other schools having 10 or more players, fatigue can become a factor for the Islanders.

The first game back on Feb. 25 was against Southold Red, and the Island squad was rusty. Two days later, against Southold White, the team was back on track. Six different players scored in the competitive game, and Coach Baskin felt they had their best rebounding game of the season.

She singled out Emily Shepherd as hitting her stride as a player noting that, “She asks questions to be sure she understands and, in that way, helps the other players understand as well. She’s really gotten so much more confident and aggressive.” That improvement was evident in the Feb. 28 game against Mattituck Gold, where she pulled down a team high 13 rebounds and scored 6 points.

Ella Fundora is really developing as a player as well. Her court sense and calm demeanor allows her to set effective screens and help run plays. A nice pass and assist allowed Aisley Davidson to break the Islanders’ scoring drought in the second quarter against Mattituck.

Michelle Martinez wasn’t available for Friday’s game, which shifted point guard duties back to Elizabeth Weslek. Weslek is a high-energy player. In addition to setting up plays, she scored a team high 8 points, including a really nice drive to the basket where she fought to regain control of the ball and put it up for 2 points.

During the third quarter, injuries had the Islanders playing with just four athletes until Weslek had a minor wound attended to, and she gamely went back onto the court. Mattituck Gold ended up taking the game 31-16, but that provided fuel for the rematch against Mattituck Blue on Monday, March 3.

The Islanders and the Blue squad are closely matched and it made for an entertaining game. Once again Shelter Island was missing a player. Fundora was out, but Martinez was back. She and Weslek shared time at point guard, and her quick hands and habit of being in the right place at the right time allowed her to get 4 steals against the Tuckers.

The team showed that they were willing to take shots and fight for rebounds. Shepherd once again led the team with 12, and Regina Kolmogorova-Weisenberg and Weslek each pulled down six. Eliza McCarthy, whose tenacious defense is fun to watch, grabbed five, putting one back for her first points of the season. The smile on her face and cheers from her teammates was heartwarming to see.

Patterns have begun to emerge: a third quarter slowdown, followed by an uptick in energy (and often scoring) in the fourth. Following the half, that predictable lull let the Tuckers go on a 6-point run. Coach Baskin called a time out to steady the team, and they quickly responded.

Firing up the new “Doubles” play allowed the Islanders to take some shots. Some of those shooters were fouled, leading to free throw attempts. Those opportunities led to points, with Shepherd and Weslek each swishing two in the third quarter.

To the delight of the fans in the stands, the final quarter featured nearly non-stop action. The teams raced up and down the court. On fast breaks Davidson is learning to get down the court and get free from defenders to give the guard someone to pass to. That increase in court awareness and positioning will pay big dividends in the games to come.

Mattituck came out on top 26-18, but the team is pleased with its efforts and have been looking forward to their final home game on Wednesday, March 5.

The last game of the season is Friday, March 7 at Greenport Purple, a team the Islanders beat at home. They hope that the rematch will also be a success and a nice cap to their season.