Whaler Sports Roundup: Boys Hoops Split Pair Of Games Over Weekend
David Creed •
This Whaler Sports Roundup includes updates on the boys basketball team, who split a pair of games over the weekend, the girls hockey team, the boys & girls swim teams at the Cape Cod Classic, and the girls basketball team.
Martin’s 19 Points Leads Whaler Hoops Over Falmouth
The Nantucket boys basketball team didn’t get the result they wanted on Friday when they traveled to Dennis-Yarmouth and lost to the Dolphins 66-52, but on Saturday they hosted the Falmouth Clippers and won in convincing fashion 63-41 behind a strong offensive performance from senior guard Dwayne Martin - who scored 19 points off the bench while drilling five 3’s.
"It was very strange because when we played Worcester South the other day, they had better pressure than DY did but for some reason (Friday) we would go and then we would just stop,” Ferreira said of his team's performance on Friday. “Every time we stopped, we turned, we passed it, and we would turn it over.”
After a sluggish start on Saturday against Falmouth, Ferreira said his staff - in particularly assistant coach Mike Ferreira - had a conversation with their players at halftime to stop trying to do things they can’t do and to just be them. Nantucket struggled to generate much offense through two quarters – trailing 15-12 after one before grabbing a 28-25 lead at half.
Martin scored 11 of his 19 points in the first half and was the primary source of offense to begin the game for the Whalers, as was senior captain/big man Jack Halik – who scored nine of his 11 points in the first half.
Ferreira believes Martin is the team’s best shooter and wants him to begin shooting more when he is open from beyond the arc. He likes having Martin as a sixth man off the bench who can provide instant offense and said that when he is focused, Martin is an effective player on both ends of the court.
"I mean he just makes shots all day,” Ferreira said. “If his mind's right and he's locked into the game defensively and offensively, he is pretty good.”
Senior captain/forward Jayquan Francis also began to attack the rim more aggressively in the second half – scoring 10 of his 13 points in the game’s final 16 minutes.
"We got on Jay and said just be you,” Ferreira said. “You're a guy that flies around in transition, you go left, so just keep going left, and then he was a beast. With Martin, just shoot open shots. I thought they all were better in the second half.”
The Whalers are now 5-3 this season and will attempt to improve to 6-3 on Tuesday, January 9th when they host the Nauset Warriors at 5 p.m. Nauset is 3-4 this season, but has won three of their last four games after beginning their 2023-2024 campaign 0-3.
Girls Hockey Still Searching For First Win Following Loss To Boston Latin Academy
The Whaler girls hockey team lost to Boston Latin Academy Saturday afternoon 7-1, but Nantucket head coach Andrew McNeilly came away from the game feeling like there were some positives for his young team to build on such as the performance of freshman goalie Ruby Muise in her second career varsity game and senior captain Claire Misurelli tallying her first goal of the season.
“You come out for your fourth period (of playing experience) for the start of the game today, get the jitters out, and they went away. She became a solid goaltender in the second and third period,” McNeilly said of Muise growth. “She was pouncing on pucks, had a nice breakaway save, had a nice glove save in the third period.”
The Whalers trailed 4-0 after one period, but Misurelli got the scoring going to begin the second to make it 4-1.
"She had a couple more opportunities that just didn't work in her favor but at some point, it's going to click and they're going to start going to the back of the net,” McNeilly said. “She had a great opportunity in the third period coming down and trying to score. Unfortunately, it just went up and over the goalie's head.”
McNeilly said he liked the pairing of Misurelli and senior captain Emerson Pekarcik on the same line. Nantucket has struggled to score this year and has just three goals to their name. Misurelli and Pekarcik are the only two players to find the back of the net, and McNeilly said putting them together was one of the coaching staff's better decisions in the game. The Whalers also ended the game with a 20-19 shot advantage.
Nantucket is now 0-5 this season and their next game will be on Wednesday, January 10th when they host the Sandwich Blue Knights at 5:15 p.m.
Boys & Girls Swim Compete In 18th Annual Cape Cod Classic
The Nantucket boys & girls swim teams traveled to Sandwich on Saturday to compete against five other schools in the 18th Annual Cape Cod Classic. The girls placed second while the boys placed fifth. The final results are below.
Girls Final Results:
1) Nauset – 174
2) Nantucket – 151
3) Sandwich – 114
4) St. John Paul II – 83
5) Martha’s Vineyard – 72
6) Barnstable – 66
Boys Final Results:
1) Martha’s Vineyard – 160
2) Nauset – 148
3) Sandwich – 125
4) Barnstable 56
5) Nantucket – 46
6) St. John Paul II – 44
Some notable times and finishes by Nantucket swimmers in the six school meet included:
- The heat of Sara Dussault, Hannah Gerardi, Martina Savova, and Myah Johnson earning a state qualifying time in the 200-yard medley relay of 2:00.69. They placed second behind a Nauset heat, which finished with a time of 2:00.43
- Myah Johnson earned a state qualifying time in the 50-yard freestyle of 26.48.
- Jake Johnson earned a state qualifying time in the 100-yard freestyle of 51.15.
- Evie Phelps earned a state qualifying time in the 500-yard freestyle of 5:35.54
- The heat of Phelps, Hannah Harrington, Savova, and Myah Johnson earned a sectional qualifying time in the 200-yard freestyle relay of 1:53.33.
- The heat of Phelps, Harrington, Dussault, and Gerardi earned a sectional qualifying time in the 400-yard freestyle relay of 4:12.61.
- Hannah Gerardi earned a sectional qualifying time in the 200-yard individual medley of 2:27.18.
- Eli MacIver placed first in the 100-yard breaststroke with a season-best time of 1:08.90, which is just shy of the sectional qualifying mark of 1:08.57.
The Whalers next meet will be on Tuesday, January 9th at 5 p.m. when they host the St. John Paul II Lions at 5 p.m.
Girls Basketball Loses On The Road
The Whaler girls basketball team traveled to Monomoy on Friday and lost to the Sharks 53-24. Junior Maddie Lombardi finished the game with a team-high nine points for Nantucket.
Nantucket is now 1-6 this season and their next game is scheduled for Monday, January 8th at home against the Rising Tide Herons at 5 p.m.
SCHEDULE AHEAD:
Monday, January 8th:
The girls basketball team will host Rising Tide at 5 p.m.
The boys hockey team will be at home facing the St. John Paul II Lions at 5:15 p.m.
Tuesday, January 9th:
The indoor track team will be at home against Falmouth High School at 3 p.m.,
The boys & girls swim teams will be at home against St. John Paul II at 5 p.m.,
The boys basketball team will be at home against Nauset at 5 p.m.