The Whaler boys basketball team followed up an impressive 65-61 defeat over the Sandwich Blue Knights on Saturday with a disappointing 55-52 defeat against Martha’s Vineyard on Sunday.
“We didn’t play well offensively,” head coach Willis Ferreira said of Sunday’s game against the Vineyard. “We didn’t play with any urgency. Shots weren’t going in. We had plenty of good shots we had been making but weren’t making today. Their big man killed us, we couldn’t get a rebound. I am kind of at a loss for words right now, but we will get back into the gym Monday and try to work it out.”
JD Heneke led the team with 15 points against the Vineyard and was one of the only Nantucket players who performed with any sort of offensive consistency in the game.
On Saturday it was another chippy game. The temperature of the game rose sharply during the first quarter after a dust up between senior captain Justin Bloise and Sandwich forward Brady Campbell.
From there it was an all-out war and like most games with this team, this one became personal.
But Nantucket was the team that was ultimately able to win the game, but Sandwich made them earn every point.
Both teams came out with energy and played a strong first quarter, with the Whalers leading 19-18 after one.
The Whalers were led by senior guard Makai Bodden, who had 19 points on five three-point makes; sophomore big man Jack Halik, who scored 15 points, grabbed 8 rebounds, and had a pair of blocks and assists; and Bloise, who scored 13 points and grabbed four boards while leading the Whaler’s defensive efforts.
“We struggled early because we weren’t us,” head coach Willis Ferreira said. “When we are getting up and down and making plays for each other, we are really good. When we want to walk it down, and I don’t know why we are walking it down, but walk it down and run an offense, that just isn’t us. We like to push the tempo.”
Both teams hit the glass and played with plenty of energy. The Whalers began to pull away and had a double digit lead in the fourth quarter, but Sandwich clawed back and made it a one-score game after an emphatic dunk by junior guard Logan Murphy.
But the Whalers were able to do just enough to hold onto their slim lead and earn the victory. Even after Sunday’s loss, Nantucket is still 11-3 and positioned well as they continue to progress through the second half of the season. They will host Cape Cod Academy tomorrow at 5 p.m.
