Varsity basketball team scores big: Notch first win of the young season

The Shelter Island varsity boys basketball team record stood at four losses and no wins on Monday, leading into its matchup against the Our Savior New American School (OSNAS) on Dec. 15.

The team had been on the road the previous Wednesday for a non-league appearance against the Hampton Bays Baymen, dropping the contest 75-43 after struggling on both the offensive and defensive ends, as the Baymen scored a collective 60 points in the second and third quarters.

Despite the slow start to the season, the team went into OSNAS fired up. OSNAS dropped two contests before facing off against the Islanders, 74-18 against Port Jefferson and 63-29 against Smithtown Christian, two teams the Islanders are slated to face off against this January.

Leading up to winter break, the team will host the Pierson Whalers Thursday, Dec. 18, at 5:45 p.m. The action will return in January, on the road Jan. 3 at Port Jefferson, and on the road again Jan. 5 at the Southold Settlers.

Monday’s contest featured a strong opening from Shelter Island. The Islanders came out in a high zone defense, which immediately shut down OSNAS. Shelter Island jumped passing lanes early and forced multiple turnovers, leading to fast-break opportunities on the other end. Sophomore Ryan Sanwald scored on one of the first plays of the game, stealing a pass and taking it coast-to-coast for a layup. He followed it with another fast-break layup, drawing contact and knocking down the free throw for the and-one.

Sanwald later added two pull-up 3-pointers in the quarter. Junior Evan Weslek also got going early, draining a 3-pointer and following it with a made free throw. Weslek added 4 points inside the paint and another foul shot, totaling 9 points in the quarter. Working inside was junior Ari Waife, who scored on multiple layups and putbacks off rebounds, adding 8 points.

OSNAS scored a 3-pointer, two jump shots, a layup and free throws. They were able to penetrate the baseline a few times and get some looks inside, but had difficulty consistently getting through Shelter Island’s defense. At the end of the first quarter, Shelter Island led 30–13. Sanwald, Weslek and Waife combined for 30 points for the Islanders.

The Islanders carried its momentum into the second quarter. Weslek opened the scoring with two layups, both coming while pushing the ball in transition. Junior Jackson Rohrer added 6 points, knocking down two 3-pointers. Waife continued to work inside, scoring 4 more points in the paint, while Sanwald added 2 points from the free-throw line.

The Islanders scored 17 points in the quarter. OSNAS was held to just 3 points, scoring on a midrange jumper and a free throw. At halftime, Shelter Island held a 47–16 lead.

Shelter Island came out firing again after the break. Sanwald scored 5 points in the quarter, finishing a fast-break layup, adding another basket inside, and converting a free throw. Senior Harry Clark added 3 points on a putback and a made foul shot for the and-one. Junior Kaden Gibbs stepped up with a 3-pointer from the corner and followed it with a drive to the basket for 2 more points.

The Islanders put up 14 points in the third. OSNAS managed just 4 points, scoring on a layup and two free throws. The score stood at 61-20 at the end of the quarter.

With the game out of reach, Shelter Island worked through some new looks in the fourth quarter. Weslek knocked down a 3-pointer, Sanwald added 4 points inside the paint, and junior Nate Sanwald scored on a fast-break layup after jumping a passing lane, giving the Islanders 9 points in the quarter.

OSNAS scored 11 points in the fourth, converting several layups, midrange shots, and free throws. It marked the only quarter in which OSNAS outscored Shelter Island, as the Islanders closed out a 70–31 victory.

Following the game, the Reporter caught up with Head Coach Michael “Zack” Mundy and Assistant Coach Matt Dunning to discuss the Islanders’ performance.

“We put some pressure on the ball defensively and were able to force turnovers and get out in transition for some easy buckets,” Coach Dunning said. 

Coach Mundy added, “We decided to put a little more pressure on defensively, and that really set the tone early for the game.” He credited the team’s work in practice leading up to Monday’s contest. “We’ve been focusing on our defense in practice for the last week,” he said. “We were able to try some new things with our pressure defense and fix things that needed to get fixed.”

Individual performances played a major role in the win, Coach Mundy said. “It was big — Ryan scoring 25, Evan having 17, Ari having 12, and Jackson having 6,” he said. “Those are the kinds of numbers we need to have to compete in the league.”

There were positives across the board, though Coach Mundy noted there is still work to be done. “Our 3-point shooting wasn’t bad for once, and our foul shots were good,” he said. “There are obviously things we need to fix going into Thursday, but I’m happy.”

The Islanders face off against the Pierson Whalers this Thursday, Dec. 18, at home, with tipoff scheduled for 5:45 p.m.