By Dean Geddes
I&M Staff Writer
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Photo by Nicole Harnishfeger
Junior Kevin Stanton set the team high for rebounds against Provincetown Saturday with 11 rebounds. Jordan Ferreira was the high scorer with 16 points. |
The boys clinched the Lighthouse conference title with a 68-32 win over the Provincetown Fishermen at home on Saturday. The Whalers conference record of 4-0 is good enough to wrap up the conference midway through the season.
Early in the game, Nantucket couldn’t get any shots to drop, but their smothering defense kept the Fishermen from getting out to any significant lead. It was an entirely different P-Town team the Whalers faced this year. Last year the Fisherman dominated the court and handed the Whalers two significant losses, but P-Town graduated five seniors in June, leaving them with a young team this year.
Six minutes into Saturday’s game Caio Corea drove into the lane and sent a great no-look pass to Josh Stone under the basket, who dropped in the uncontested lay-up to give the Whalers a 5-2 lead.
Jordan Ferreira scored the next 5 points of the game, first on a fast break lay-up off a pretty assist from Wesley LaMotta, then knocking down a three pointer from the corner.
The Whalers offense, which came out of the game sluggish, was clearly rolling. With 7 minutes left in the first half, Ferreira and Adam Spencer executed a perfect give and go with Ferreira getting the ball as he was cutting to the basket, making a lay-up while getting fouled.
“We were playing quick, and moving without the ball, and that got us a lot of open looks. In the past we weren’t doing that,” head coach Beau Almodobar said.
With four and a half minutes left in the first half, the Whalers began a full-court press and were able to score 7 straight points off steals from the press to take a commanding 29-12 lead. Nantucket scored 6 more points in the first half and went in to locker room with a 35-13 lead.
The Whaler starters played the first few minutes of the second half, but when they led by 45-17, Coach Almodobar was able to let his bench play the remainder of the game.
Jordan Ferreira led the team with 16 points. Wesley LaMotta had 9 points, 5 steals, 5 assists, and 6 rebounds. Center Kevin Stanton had 5 points, a team high 11 rebounds and 2 blocks while patrolling the paint. Tomas Smaliorius came off the bench with 6 points and 6 rebounds.
Dean Geddes can be reached at dgeddes@inkym.com.
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