Breaking through: Island boys win first home game in 5 years
On Friday, Jan. 9, the Shelter Island varsity boys basketball team marked an historic moment. Wins have been difficult to come by in recent seasons, with Shelter Island not recording a varsity home victory in more than five years.
That drought ended Friday night.
Snapping the Skid Ross School won the opening tip and immediately set the tone, knocking down a 3-pointer and settling into a full-court man-to-man press. Shelter Island answered right away, breaking the press with a long pass to junior Evan Weslek, who beat his defender down the floor for a layup.
The opening minutes were back and forth. Sophomore Ryan Sanwald cut past his defender for a contested floater, while Ross answered with an and-one jumper to regain the lead. Ross continued to pressure defensively, forcing turnovers and converting in transition to build an early 8–4 advantage.
Shelter Island responded with energy. Weslek grabbed a defensive rebound and found senior Harry Clark streaking down the floor, who finished through contact for an and-one. Moments later, Weslek drove into the paint, drew the defense, and kicked it out to Clark at the top of the key where the senior drilled a 3 to give the Islanders an 11–8 lead.
The Islanders continued to effectively break the press. Another long inbound found Weslek behind the defense for a layup, pushing the lead to 13–8. Ross answered late in the quarter with a pair of threes and a layup, tying the game at 15 before senior Daniel Hernandez split a pair of free throws. Ross converted one of two at the line in the final seconds, leaving the score tied 16–16 after a fast-paced opening quarter.
The second quarter remained tight. Weslek opened the scoring with a contested floater and followed it with a reverse layup in traffic. Sanwald later slipped free on a baseline cut for two more, while freshman Lucas Reiter checked in and scored his first career varsity points on a layup in transition.
As defensive intensity increased, scoring slowed, but Shelter Island maintained control. Weslek attacked off a handoff late in the half, finishing through contact to give the Islanders a 27–19 lead at the break.
Ross opened the third quarter aggressively, but the Islanders answered. After a turnover, Sanwald hustled back to block a Ross layup attempt, then found Clark at the other end alone under the basket for an easy finish. Ross continued to heat up from beyond the arc, but Weslek countered repeatedly, scoring through contact and converting an and-one to keep Shelter Island ahead.
The quarter featured multiple momentum swings. Ross knocked down several threes to stay within striking distance, but Weslek drained a contested pull-up three and followed it with an offensive rebound and putback to extend the lead. Late free throws sent Shelter Island into the fourth quarter ahead 43–31.
Ross refused to go away in the final frame, relying heavily on the 3-point shot to cut into the lead. However, each time the Ravens threatened, the Islanders responded. Weslek scored on drives and at the line, Sanwald attacked the paint and found junior Ari Waife for a finish inside, and Shelter Island continued to break the press.
With the crowd on its feet in the closing minutes, Weslek drove for a contested floater and later finished another layup as the shot clock wound down. Ross hit a final three in the closing seconds, but Shelter Island calmly inbounded the ball and ran out the clock.
As the buzzer sounded, the Islanders secured a 67–56 victory, igniting the home crowd and snapping the five-year home drought. Weslek finished with 41 points, while Sanwald added 11 and Clark scored seven, with eight additional points coming from the rest of the roster to secure the victory.
A Crowded Week It was an eventful and demanding week for the Islanders, one that tested the group physically and mentally. Despite a 2–4 league record, the Islanders have shown noticeable team and individual progress since returning from winter break.
Shelter Island opened the new year on Saturday, Jan. 3, on the road at Port Jefferson, staying within striking distance throughout the contest before falling by 10 points in a competitive 50–40 loss. The Islanders traveled again on Monday, Jan. 5, to face the Southold Settlers, where the game gradually slipped away in a 71–38 defeat.
The week continued Wednesday, Jan. 7, with Shelter Island returning home to host the Greenport Porters. Once again, the Islanders remained within single digits late before the game slipped away in the fourth quarter, resulting in a 61–44 loss.
The stretch concluded Friday, Jan. 16, with the cross-bay rivalry matchup against the Ross Ravens during Shelter Island’s homecoming, and the historic victory.
Individually, junior Evan Weslek — who entered the season with 737 career points — has taken a significant step forward. As of Monday, Jan. 12, Weslek ranks third in Suffolk County and sixth on Long Island in scoring across all leagues. He totaled 124 points over the seven-day stretch and is just shy of a 1,000-point career milestone.
Coaches’ Take Following the Ross victory, the Reporter met with the Islanders’ coaching staff to reflect on a demanding stretch of games and the progress shown throughout the week, despite uneven results in the win column.
“For me, it’s just seeing a lot of the things we’ve been putting in and working on starting to come together,” Assistant Coach Matt Dunning said. “A lot of the good is starting to become more of the normal for us. Now it’s just about building that consistency.”
When asked what tends to unravel during key stretches, Coach Dunning pointed to tempo and decision-making as recurring issues. “We get sped up,” he said. “Once that happens, we start rushing, turning the ball over, and making mental mistakes defensively. The second we get sped up, things fall apart.”
One of the more unusual moments of the week came during the home game against Greenport, when a fire alarm halted play midway through the second half. “That was a first for me,” Head Coach Zack Mundy said. “We were starting to build momentum, and I had just called a timeout to draw something up when the alarm went off. Next thing you know, we’re outside sitting in the school van for 15 minutes. It’s hard to get back into a game after that.”
Despite the disruption, Coach Mundy said the Islanders remained competitive until late. “We were in the game until that point, but we only scored six points in the fourth quarter. That made it tough.” He added that limited scoring depth also played a role against Greenport. “Only two guys scored. Evan, with 34, and Ari with 10,” he said. “We need points from everybody. We can’t rely on just two people.”
Much of that growth came to a head Friday night against Ross, a rivalry that Coach Mundy said has long defined Shelter Island basketball. “The Ross–Shelter Island rivalry goes back a long time,” he said. “It’s always been physical and hard-fought.”
Friday’s crowd reflected that history, creating a packed and energetic atmosphere. “There wasn’t an open seat in the gym,” Mundy said. “Ross fans, Shelter Island fans, it was a great atmosphere. It was fun.”
Against the Ravens’ full-court press, Shelter Island found success by pushing the pace and attacking in transition. “The first time we played Ross this season, we couldn’t dribble, we couldn’t pass,” Coach Mundy said. “That’s what we’ve been working on since then. Friday night, they came out in a press and we ate it up. The best way to beat a press is passing the ball, and we’ve been working on that. It showed.”
Much of the offensive load fell on Evan Weslek, whose recent stretch has drawn attention across the league. “When Evan has the ball in the high post and is driving to the basket, no one in our league can stop him,” Coach Mundy said. “He’s creating contact, getting to the foul line, finishing, and making his free throws.”
Coach Dunning pointed to a shift in Weslek’s approach. “This stretch really started at Port Jeff,” he said. “He’s realized what his game is. Dominating inside.”
Despite nearing the 1,000-point milestone, Coach Mundy said Weslek’s focus remains unchanged. “He doesn’t bring it up at all,” he said. “Winning comes first for him. The points don’t matter, he just wants to compete.”
The Islanders play the Smithtown Christian Knights on the road Tuesday, Jan. 13, with tipoff scheduled for 6:15 p.m. Shelter Island returns home Thursday, Jan. 15, to face the VI League’s top-seeded Bridgehampton Killer Bees, with tipoff set for 4:30 p.m. Weslek is favored to reach the 1,000-point milestone in Thursday’s contest or early the following week.
