JAN. 14: RIVERHEAD 76, PATCHOGUE/MEDFORD 48

After getting a massive victory over Whitman earlier in the week, Riverhead put on a show against Patchogue-Medford to earn their fifth league win, leaving just one win to earn a playoff berth in their final six games. Deshawn Watkins was an absolute maniac on the court, scoring a career-high 40 points for the Blue Waves. He hit six triples and simply could not miss. Liam Lennon scored nine and Peter Lagnena added eight. Riverhead improved to 5-1 in League I and 8-6 overall.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE: Jan. 21: Brentwood at Riverhead, 4 p.m.

JAN. 13: MT. SINAI 69, SHOREHAM-WADING RIVER 43

The Wildcats have cooled off tremendously after their hot start which featured five consecutive wins. The loss against Mt. Sinai now marks three losses in a row for Shoreham-Wading River.

Skewing young at their skill positions, the Wildcats haven’t been able to score as much as they did in the beginning of the season. In the past three games, 43 has been the most they’ve scored. Max Boerum led the way against Mt. Sinai, netting 11. The Wildcats have a 8-5 overall record and a 3-4 split in League VI.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE: Jan. 17: Kings Park at SWR, 4 p.m.; Jan. 28: Hampton Bays at SWR, 4 p.m.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

JAN. 14: RIVERHEAD 41, PATCHOGUEMEDFORD 27

Riverhead got back on track against Patchogue-Medford in a game they had to have following two straight losses that severely damaged their playoff hopes.

Through the first half of the league season, Riverhead posted a 2-4 record after starting the non-league schedule out 4-0. Tuesday’s win brings them back into the playoff conversation needing three more wins before the season’s end to earn a spot. The Blue Waves had three double digit scorers with Adriana Martinez and Logan Pilon both scoring 11 and Kyleigh Lennon adding 10 more.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE: Jan. 21: Riverhead at Brentwood, 4 p.m.

WRESTLING

JAN. 9: JOHN GLENN 46, SHOREHAM-WADING RIVER 19

After a strong start to the season, Shoreham-Wading River fell in a matchup that essentially decided the league winner. The two top dogs in the league went at it and John Glenn emerged victorious.

The Wildcats earned victories at 101 lbs with Thomas Matias winning in a technical fall, at 108 lbs with Shane Cowan winning in a major decision, at 138 lbs with Gavin Mangano earning a pin, and at 152 lbs with Jacob Conti earning a major decision.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE: Jan. 30: SWR at Southampton, 5:30 p.m.

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“When we made that championship run two years ago, I expected for us to go undefeated,” SWR head coach Adam Lievre said. “We were just that good. This year has been a surprise. I didn’t expect us to be undefeated this deep into the season. Our defense has been carrying us all season long, and it showed up again today.”

Mt. Sinai, the second place team in the league at 6-1, did give the Wildcats some problems. They kept the game close from the start and at one point stretched their lead to as many as six points in the third quarter, behind the sharp-shooting of guard Mia Betancourt, who scored a game-high 15 points.

When the Wildcats needed help on the offensive end, Leslie Jablonski answered the call. The guard came off the bench and drained two three-pointers in crucial situations, contributing 12 points in a game that saw only two Wildcats score in double digits.

“I just made sure I was setting my feet before every shot, breathing and relaxed,” Jablonski said. “This game was a real eye opener. It felt like a playoff atmosphere out there.”

Ashley Bell, captain and senior point guard, was the only other Wildcat consistently finding the bottom of the net, adding 13 points as the defenses on both sides of the court really shined. “We lost to them twice last year, so for us to beat them now shows how much stronger we got,” Bell said. “Even though they didn’t have one of their starters, it was still a major test for us against a team we’re going to see in the playoffs.”

When the Wildcats began to fall behind in the third quarter, Lievre considered shifting to 1-3-1 zone on defense. Then Bell hit the first of two free throws, before Shealyn Varbero came up with the rebound on the second attempt and found Anabel Keegan in the corner for a three pointer to cut the lead to one.

“That play completely shifted the momentum,” Lievre said. “Instead of making a change we just stuck with what we were doing, and we were able to take back control of the game.”

The Wildcat defense toughened up and started pressing Mt. Sinai into turnovers. SWR held the Mustangs to just four points in the fourth quarter. Lievre kept Varbero and Jablonski on the court for the duration to help the defense respond. The duo combined for seven steals, including three in the final minute. SWR amassed 25 steals on the game.

The win over Mt. Sinai clinched the Wildcats playoff spot — for the 18th consecutive year.

“Going undefeated the rest of the year would be great, but it really doesn’t matter,” Lievre said. “Once the playoffs come, it doesn’t matter what seed you are or what you did during the regular season. It doesn’t matter what color jersey you’re wearing. Everyone gets a fresh chance out there. It’s just about being at your best come February. The important part was getting in. Right now for us, it’s imperative to get our offense going. Our defense is always going to keep us in games but we need to make our shots.”

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“Cherese decided to step away, and I was happy to step into the role,” Ghigliotti said. “It was sad to see her go, but I’ve worked with these girls for the last couple years. It’s nice to see them slowly turn into basketball players. They’ve been learning a lot these past years, and this year, you can tell they’re confident out there. We have a ton of athletes and they’re ready to win.”

After going 1-18 two seasons ago, the Blue Waves improved to 4-13 last season. There was obvious upside from one year to the next but this season has been a complete 180. Through four games, Riverhead has already equaled its win total from last season starting a flawless 4-0, including an impressive 34-30 victory over Longwood last Tuesday at Riverhead High School. The games last year against Longwood weren’t even close, as the Blue Waves lost by double digits both times. Things have really turned around.

“Coach Ghigliotti had been coaching us up for years now and has never backed down from a challenge,” senior guard Logan Pilon said. “He really put things together this year. Practices are always about how to react in certain game situations. We’re keeping up our energy in practice and never slowing down. I think we’re winning because we’re just in better shape and can keep up with anyone.”

The Blue Waves led the entire way against Longwood, controlling possession, keeping up the intensity and draining baskets when they needed to. Pilon led the way in scoring with 10 points. She knocked down two early three-pointers that set the tone for the rest of the game. Fellow longtime varsity teammate Adriana Martinez chipped in 9, and Jordyn Kwasna added 8, including a three point basket that served as the final dagger down the stretch.

“We don’t have those technical basketball players that have been playing their whole lives like other schools,” Ghigliotti said. “What we have is a lot of great athletes, who love competing — who love playing fast and making reactionary plays — and we’re letting them do that.”

Another major piece to this season’s hot start has been adding a forward to play alongside Kyleigh Lennon, who has been the team’s main rebounding threat for the last two years. With one day left before tryouts ended, Brooke Andresen showed up at the gym after transferring from Shoreham-Wading River. She was recently part of the soccer team there that made it to the New York State Final Four. Originally from Riverhead, Andresen wanted to graduate with her childhood friends. The senior has played essentially every minute this season, making an impact from the center position. She scored three points, hauled in seven rebounds and snatched three steals in the win over Longwood.

“Brooke has been a major addition to the squad,” Ghigliotti said. “I didn’t know much about her at first but right away I knew she had game. She’s played varsity basketball with Shoreham, so she’s got experience. She’s a great athlete and gives us some size on the court.”

Defense has been the theme early in the season. The only way to defeat the teams Riverhead had trouble with over the years is to force them into taking bad shots and give up turnovers. The Blue Waves came away with 16 steals against Longwood. Martinez led the team with seven as her instincts put her right into the passing lanes.

“We spent the first three days of practice just doing defensive drills,” Martinez said. “Defense wins games — we all know that. We have the athletes to be able to run the entire game and press and keep the intensity level high. When the other team gets tired, we keep going.”

With all the momentum on their side, Riverhead will travel to Central Islip (0-4) on Thursday to try to surpass last year’s win total.

“We can compete with any team in the league,” Ghigliotti said. “We’re not going to out-basketball anyone. But what we can do is trap, work together, work hard the whole game and make shots when we can. We’re building some confidence and you can see it. Most of these girls have been on varsity for many years. It’s their time now.”

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Through four games this season, the Wildcats have posted a 4-0 record, including two non-league wins against League II Sachem East and League V Hauppauge. They took care of business against a perennial basketball power in Kings Park on Monday. After beating Kings Park two years ago to win the Suffolk County championship, last year it was the Kingswomen who prevailed, knocking the Wildcats out of the semifinals. So even this early in the season, Monday’s 44-33 victory over Kings Park at Shoreham-Wading River High School means that things are looking up.

“It’s good to have a test like this early in the season,” Lievre said. “I told the girls before the game that win or lose, this is the type of game to see where we are. We want to see the good and bad and the ugly — like many of our missed layups today — but overall this is what early season basketball is all about. The season’s not over if you win, and the season isn’t over when you lose. It was the first close game we played, so it was good to see how the girls responded.”

This year’s team is led by senior guard Alyssa Bell, who emerged as a regular starter last season. Bell has always had tremendous potential and ability to score — and this season, she’ll be a key source of the Wildcats success. She’s already scored as many as 20 points in a game this season and put up 12 points on Monday.

“She’s our primary ball handler, but also we need her to score,” Lievre said. “Through the first couple games, she’s done a great job at that. She’s our only true basketball player out there. We want to let the athletes around her do their thing, using their length and their speed, and when we desperately need a score, she’s going to have the ball in her hands.”

Several Division I college lacrosse recruits fill the lineup, which will give the Wildcats a competitive defensive edge against anyone they go against. Grayce Kitchen (Louisville), Haylie Abrams (Colorado), Morgan Lesiewicz (Lehigh) and Charlotte Erb (Coastal Carolina) all give the opponents fits as they try to navigate the ball up the court. Against Kings Park, the team came away with 21 steals and forced another 17 turnovers — gaudy numbers in just 32 minutes of play.

“I think with the athleticism we have on the team, we’re going to be a tough matchup for anyone,” Bell said. “We have the ability to always control the tempo, which is a major advantage for us.”

Defense is something that a Lievre team always pride themselves on. In the second quarter, which happened to be a major turning point in the game, SWR only allowed four points and stretched the lead to as much as 15 points.

“When we start to get in our groove, our defense turns into offense,” said Kitchen, who scored nine points. “We all trust each other to be tough on defense and to make a play when we need it.”

Anabel and Kady Keegan will be major parts of the team this year. Anabel sat out all of last season with an injury, so she’s just getting back in the swing of things. Kady scored nine points and came up with four steals against Kings Park.

“Anabel hasn’t played in a basketball game in around 20 months coming into this season,” Lievre said. “By the middle of the season, she’s going to be a major force, and I look forward to seeing her get comfortable back out there.” With the intense schedule to open the season, Lievre hasn’t really been able to have a lot of practices as a full team. The winter break is coming up and it’ll grant them some time to work on what they’ve seen in their play thus far.

“We have a whole week to reevaluate,” Lievre said. “See what’s been good and what’s been not so good. We have a stretch of five games in 10 days so it will be good to take a step back. It’s a long season and so far so good. We’re going to be a work in progress but we’ll take where we are right now.”

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It was a revenge game for Kings Park after enduring a tough loss in the Suffolk County championship to the Wildcats last year. Ryan Currier, the lone returning starter from that Kings Park’s team made an immediate impact on the defensive end of the court.

The 6-foot-2 senior center dominated the paint and refused to let any Wildcat inside the lane uncontested. Currier set a precedent from the opening tip, notching eight blocked shots, including six in the first half.

“I think overall we played well,” SWR head coach Adam Lievre said. “Currier blocked about a thousand shots in the first half. The fact that we got the shots in that spot is because we did what we were supposed to do. We broke the press, moved the ball, and we just needed to come up with another way to shoot the ball over her.”

The first quarter featured a lot of defense and very little scoring as both teams combined for 18 turnovers.  After ending the first quarter tied 4-4, Kings Park, behind their stellar defense, started to pull away and extended their lead to as many as 12 points before halftime.

“We talked about trying to take different approaches to get around [Currier],” Lievre said. “We started taking some three point shots but they weren’t falling either. She really altered the game plan for us and it made all the difference.”

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Shoreham Wading River junior Grayce Kitchen shoots from the top of the key. (photo credit: Bill Landon) Shoreham Wading River senior Juliana Mahan fights her way to the rim. (photo credit: Bill Landon) Shoreham Wading River senior Juliana Mahan drives the lane. (photo credit: Bill Landon) Shoreham Wading River sophomore Kady Keegan lays up for two for the Wildcats. (photo credit: Bill Landon)

Though the Wildcats tried to fight back from a 16-point hole in the third quarter, they only got as close as nine points back in the fourth quarter as Kings Park never let off the pressure. Their constant press forced errant passes that turned into easy, fastbreak baskets. The game quickly got lopsided. 

The loss in the Class A semifinals doesn’t diminish what this team was able to accomplish — only a year removed from losing four of their five starters. It’s not easy to put together another contender but they had as good a shot as anyone to win the county crown again.

“It took time for us to get it all together this year,” Lievre said. “I looked at it today. We’re missing 80% of our points from last season. So it’s a lot. I don’t know many teams that lost that many points, two all-county players, three five-year varsity players and to start 0-3 this season and still get to the county semifinals is something to be proud of.”

Juliana Mahan, the one returning starter from last year’s championship team, was mostly double or triple teamed when she got the ball in the paint. The senior was only able to muster six points on the night and was visibly upset afterward.

“Mahan had a great career,” Lievre said. “She was the piece we really needed last year for the championship. With all the guards that we had, we really needed a big [center] to be able to rebound and finish down low and guard the other bigs. We needed someone to be in charge of the middle. And she did that. So although it would’ve been nice to win back-to-back county championships, she was a big part in winning the first one for the school and that banner is up there for good.”

Mahan and Tiana Barone are the only Wildcats who will graduate this year, so next season also looks promising. Sophomores Kady Keegan (11 points) and Leslie Jablonski (10 points) led the team in scoring against Kings Park.

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“It’s become a tradition for us,” Mahan said. “We always want to end on a make. It’s like good luck in a way.”

That extra shot may have boosted Keegan’s confidence as she led the Wildcats to a 44-26 victory at Shoreham-Wading River High School to cement a spot in the Suffolk County Class A semifinals. Keegan scored a career-high 17 points and caused absolute havoc in the passing lanes, coming away with five steals.

“Keegan was huge for us today,” SWR head coach Adam Lievre said. “I told her before the game as we were walking out of the locker room, ‘You have to shoot. If you’re 0-for-5, the sixth one still needs to go up.’ She ended up having a great shooting night and hit some crucial layups.”

The fourth-seeded Wildcats had trouble to start the game, committing turnovers in each of their first four possessions. The good news was Islip was having trouble scoring as well, and the first quarter ended with Shoreham-Wading River up 6-4. Keegan scored all six of SWR’s points in that first quarter.

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Haylie Abrams has her shot blocked by Islip’s Carley Mullins. (photo credit: Robert O’Rourk) Julianna Mahan drives to the basket with Carley Mullins defending. (photo credit: Robert O’Rourk) Coach Adam Liver talks to the team during a timeout. (photo credit: Robert O’Rourk) Despite pressure from Sara Geldmacher, Alyssa Bell scored on this play to open the fourth quarter. (photo credit: Robert O’Rourk)

“I was debating whether I was watching a JV or varsity game for a little bit there,” Lievre joked. “But we finally got back to our brand of basketball.”

The Wildcat defense got more fierce as the game went on. Steals started coming in bunches, and the lead started to swell as turnovers led to fast break buckets on the other end. SWR finished the first half with 13 steals and a 12-point lead over No. 5 Islip. 

“We read the reversals very well and got our hands on a lot of them,” Lievre said. “But it’s not always about steals. Sometimes it’s just about a simple deflection. It slows the pass down and leads to less open shots. Even forcing them to lob it instead of a straight pass allows the defense to rotate better.”

“Defense is our best offense,” said Mahan, who scored 14 points in the victory. “It’s been that way all year long. The more we force turnovers the better off we’ll be.”

Mahan also notched 15 rebounds and four steals. Though she was often double-teamed and had trouble scoring at times, the extra attention allowed space for others to shoot. Keegan relished the opportunity to contribute in the most important game of the season thus far.

“I’m always a defense-first type of player,” Keegan said. “But I was getting a lot of open shots today and I just did my best to make them.”

The lead grew to 23 points in a dominant third quarter, and Islip just didn’t have enough juice to make a comeback despite Carley Mullins scoring six consecutive fourth quarter points in only about a minute of action.

The victory sets up a rematch of last year’s Suffolk County championship in the semifinals. The Wildcats take on No. 1 seed Kings Park Wednesday night at Centereach High School. Game results will be posted to Riverhead-News Review website.

“Both teams are very similar in that we both graduated four starters [from last season],” Lievre said. “It’s a little bit different circumstances doing the rematch in the semifinals but it should be a great game.”

The lone returning starter for each team happens to be at the center position. Mahan was again matches up against the 6-foot-2 Ryan Currier. In last year’s county title game, Currier netted 15 points and scored most often on offensive rebounds.

“It’s basically our bench last year versus their bench,” Lievre said. “They do a lot of pressing. We’re going to have to handle the press. With Currier on the other side we’re going to have to prioritize rebounding. She’s got like two inches on Jules [Mahan]. Like I said earlier, it’s anyone’s championship this year.”

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Shoreham-Wading River had a rough start to the season as head coach Adam Lievre scheduled some of the best schools in higher divisions such as Division I’s William Floyd and Division II’s Commack. Those teams combined for a record of 39-1 over the course of the season. The Wildcats took their lumps early on and just proceeded to get better as a unit.

Playing in Division VI, the Wildcats finished the regular season with four consecutive wins, including a 59-16 victory over Southampton last Thursday. The only league losses the Wildcats suffered were against Mt. Sinai — the eventual division winner. 

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Shoreham-Wading River senior Juliana Mahan banks two at home against Southampton. (photo credit: Bill Landon) Shoreham-Wading River senior Tiana Barone scores for the Wildcats at home against Southampton. (photo credit: Bill Landon) Shoreham-Wading River sophomore Leslie Jablonski banks two for the Wildcats in a home game against Southampton. (photo credit: Bill Landon) Shoreham-Wading River junior Alyssa Bell scores in a home game against Southampton. (photo credit: Bill Landon)

The Wildcats’ 10-2 league record earned them the No. 4 seed in the Section XI Class A bracket — a far cry from their 20-0 and No. 1 seed from last year. 

“I thought we would be the three seed at the end of the season,” Lievre said. “We have the third best record and we’re tied with Sayville. And honestly we have more quality non-league wins.”

But the seeding committee thought otherwise and awarded Sayville the No. 3 seed. Shoreham-Wading River will start its defense of the Suffolk County title against No. 5 seed Islip on Friday. The game will take place at Shoreham-Wading River High School with game time slated for 5 p.m. 

“In order to win a playoff game you need to play well in all facets of the game,” Lievre said. “You have to play good defense, you have to take care of the ball and you have to make shots.”

The Wildcats will rely heavily on Mahan to make a bunch of those shots. The senior scored 22 points in the season finale against Southampton and has eclipsed the 30-point marker twice this season.

“It’s going to be a matter of coming in focused and ready to play,” Mahan said. “I’ll be watching film all week long trying to study my opponent. I won’t be leaving my computer much. I’ll do anything it takes to win.”

Islip finished League V with a 9-3 record but struggled in their non-league schedule, going 1-6 the rest of the way. They are led by Carley Mullins, who averages 12.9 points per game. Their only win against a team going to the playoffs was against Sayville in a 47-37 win on Jan. 24. Mullins scored a game-high 16 points in that game.

Mahan will need her partner in crime, Alyssa Bell, to also be a major contributor come playoff time. Though Bell didn’t start last year, she was the first off the bench and played important minutes. Bell has averaged 11.2 points per game this season but twice scored as many as 19 points. Grayce Kitchen, Haylie Abrams, Kady Keegan and Charlotte Erb also figure to be part of the puzzle of playoff success. 

With the week-long layoff, Lievre has scheduled scrimmages against Mattituck and Patchogue-Medford — two playoff teams in different classes. 

“We need to try to stay sharp,” Lievre said. “We’ll work on some new things in those scrimmages. Maybe I’ll pick up some things in film that I want to focus on but the main thing is to stay in good basketball form.”

Even as the No. 4 seed, Lievre says the title is wide open and there is no real team to beat like they were last year.

“One through five, there’s not much that separates the group,” he said. “It’s just going to come down to who makes the plays in the crucial moments. Nobody has that resume where you point to that team and say, ‘Well they’re the best.’ It’s truly anyone’s tournament.”

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GIRLS BASKETBALL

Feb. 9: Shoreham-Wading River 46, John Glenn 42

The Wildcats’ girls squad earned yet another big victory as they continue to stack up wins to try to earn a high seed for the playoffs. SWR has only lost to first-place Mt. Sinai in the league play this season and will figure to have another shot at the Mustangs once the playoffs come around. Friday’s game against John Glenn went into overtime, where the Wildcats scored six points and gave up only one two-point basket. Ashley Bell and Juliana Mahan each scored 12 points for SWR. Leslie Jablonski added another 10 points, six of them coming from beyond the arc. Shoreham-Wading River (8-2 League VI, 12-6 overall) had two games remaining following last week’s win: Feb. 14 against Hampton Bays and Feb. 15 against Southampton.

Feb. 12: Sachem East 54, Riverhead 30

After one of their most promising starts in the last five years, winning four of their first seven games, the Riverhead girls team won only one more contest the rest of the way. But despite winning so few games, the season was a major step forward compared to the recent past, in part because the team is still so young. Junior guard Logan Pilon had a terrific season, averaging just under to 12 points per game. Against Sachem East, Nariah Dent led the way in scoring, with seven, and Pilon added six. Kyleigh Lennon and Claire Normoyle scored five points each for the Blue Waves.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Feb. 9: Sachem East 57, Riverhead 49

Playing against a strong division opponent that has a chance at making the playoffs, Riverhead fought to keep the score close and scored 19 points in the fourth quarter, finishing the game strong. Though the Blue Waves have won only three games this season, optimism for a rebound campaign next year is very much on the players’ minds. AJ Austin and Carlsoe Mendez led the way with 12 points each for Riverhead. Deshawn Watkins scored 10 and Liam Lennon added seven more. That was the last game of the season for the Blue Waves. Division I is a tough place to play in Suffolk County. They’ll have the majority of players returning next year and figure to add a handful from a JV squad that finished around .500 for the season. 

Feb. 8: Center Moriches 67, Shoreham-Wading River 50

The SWR boys basketball team had a rough go of it this year after losing their star point guard, Alex Makarewicz, during the first week of the season. It was supposed to be an all-county-type season for Makarewicz, but a shoulder injury that dragged on from soccer just never got better. Tyler Lievre, son of SWR girls basketball coach Adam Lievre, has been coming on as of late and will be a feature player on next year’s squad. The eighth-grader scored a team-high 10 points against Center Moriches last Thursday after averaging around seven points a game on the season. The Wildcats finished the season at 4-16 record and will look to improve next year.

WRESTLING

Feb. 9: Shoreham-Wading River, Division II Suffolk County championships

Wildcats wrestlers competed in the individual county championships Friday afternoon. Here are some of the notable results.

101 pounds: Thomas Matias, 6th place

124: Chris Colon, 1st

131: Gavin Mangano, 1st

138: Jacob Conti, 4th

170: Nate Spuhler, 2nd

215: Wes Hodun, 5th

285: Zack Wilson, 2nd

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Jan. 30: Ward Melville 63, Riverhead 56

Riverhead’s boys basketball team has had a season to forget in Suffolk County’s Division I, but they’ve been putting up a fight in every game they play. Against a playoff-bound Ward Melville on Tuesday, Riverhead (2-14) kept the score tight from start to finish — trailing by only three points at halftime. The Blue Waves just couldn’t put together a streak of baskets to take a lead and hold onto it. Deshawn Watkins, who has been coming on as of late, led the team with 14 points. AJ Austin scored 12 and sophomore sharpshooter Peter Legnena hit on three of his shots behind the arc. Ward Melville was paced by Devin Lynch and Luke Chitkara, who each scored 15 against the Blue Waves. Riverhead has four games remaining on its schedule: Feb. 5 against Central Islip at 4 p.m., Feb.7 at Longwood at 5:45 p.m., Feb. 9 against Sachem East at 4 p.m. and Feb. 12 at Walt Whitman at 6 p.m.

Jan. 25: Shoreham-Wading River 56, Babylon 48

There was some light at the end of the season for the Wildcats as they were able to secure their second league victory against Babylon last Thursday. Though the playoffs are off the table, securing some victories at the end of the season brings some enthusiasm into the next year’s campaign. Shoreham-Wading River (3-12) got out ahead of Babylon 19-14 after the first quarter and only added to the lead, holding Babylon (4-9) to just four points in the second quarter. Kyle Stella led the way for the Wildcats with 15 points, as he connected on three of his four three-point attempts. Max Julian, who is in his final season as a Wildcat, scored 11 points. Matt Arabio collected seven points, secured five rebounds and put his body on the line for two offensive charges. The Wildcats have four games remaining on the schedule: Feb. 2 at Pierson at 6:15 p.m., Feb. 6 against Mattituck at 4 p.m., Feb. 8 at Center Moriches at 6:45 p.m. and Feb.13 against Bayport-Blue Point at 6:30 p.m.

Girls Basketball 

Jan. 30: Ward Melville 51, Riverhead 25

Riverhead had a tough time scoring against playoff-bound Ward Melville and it ultimately sank any opportunity to win the game. Ward Melville (11-5) took a 14-3 lead into the second quarter and never looked back. Riverhead, which has won four games on the season, is very young and with most of the team returning next year, a renaissance is almost surely expected. Logan Pilon led all scorers with 19 points for the Blue Waves. Ward Melville, despite the win, didn’t have a double-digit scorer. Grace Balocca had nine points and Julia Dank added eight. Pilon has had a solid junior campaign, averaging 11.5 points per game on the season. The Blue Waves have four games left on the schedule: Feb. 7 at Central Islip at 4:30 p.m., Feb. 10 against Longwood at noon, Feb.12 at Sachem East at 4:30 p.m., and Feb. 14 against Whitman at 6:15p.m.

Jan. 25: Shoreham-Wading River 69, Bayport-Blue Point 63

With the overtime victory over Bayport-Blue Point, Shoreham-Wading River has won five games in a row and secured a spot in the playoffs. The Wildcats have been red hot, defeating every opponent in their way, led by Juliana Mahan — the lone starter remaining from last year’s Suffolk County championship team. Mahan scored a career-high 35 points against Bayport-Blue Point and will need to continue to be the team’s x-factor going forward for them to succeed. Alyssa Bell, who has been the 1-2 punch along with Mahan this season, scored 19 points in the victory. Shoreham-Wading River (10-6) has four games remaining until the playoffs start. Every game will be crucial for their playoff seeding. Remaining games on the schedule are Feb. 2 against Center Moriches at 7 p.m., Feb. 9 against John Glenn at 5:15 p.m., Feb. 13 at Hampton Bays at 6:45 p.m., and Feb. 15 against Southampton at 4:30 p.m.

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The team that handed Shoreham-Wading River their only league loss of the season came out on top again, emerging with a 48-41 victory and essentially eliminating any shot for the Wildcats to win the league. 

“I think in both games we beat ourselves,” said SWR head coach Adam Lievre. “I would say this game was a carbon copy of our first game. Bad start. Unforced turnovers. Sloppy play. Got going for a few minutes. And then got back to our ways again.”

Mt. Sinai (8-0 League VI, 11-4 overall) jetted out to a scorching start, taking a 12-1 lead with three minutes remaining in the first quarter. The Wildcats had trouble getting a full offensive attack together, committing turnovers and allowing the Mustangs to pull away slightly. 

The second quarter featured a whole new Shoreham-Wading River team, with senior captain Juliana Mahan leading the way. Mahan scored the first four points of the quarter in less than a minute and ended the quarter with nine points to bring the game into half, tied at 22-22.

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Shoreham Wading River sophomore Kady Keegan lays up for two for the Wildcats. (photo credit Bill Landon) Shoreham Wading River junior Grayce Kitchen shoots from the corner. (photo credit Bill Landon) Shoreham Wading River junior Alyssa Bell shoots from the baseline. ((photo credit Bill Landon) Shoreham Wading River senior Juliana Mahan fights for the rebound. (photo credit Bill Landon) Shoreham Wading River senior Juliana Mahan fights her way to the rim between two defenders. (photo credit Bill Landon)

“Jules is the biggest advantage we have over the other teams we play, so we need to get her the ball,” Lievre said. “When she’s open we want to feed her. Sometimes I think we don’t give it to her when she’s open and sometimes we force it to her when she’s not open. At the end of the day, we just need to make better decisions with the ball.”

The Wildcats tried to feature more of Mahan in the second half but many of the passes inside got deflected and turned into fastbreak points the other way. Mt. Sinai got ahead by as much as nine points before Shoreham-Wading River (6-2, 10-6) started to chip away again. 

With big buckets by Mahan, Ashley Bell and Kady Keegan, the Wildcats tied it up again at 38-38 with just five minutes left to play. The momentum looked like it had finally shifted back in favor of the home team. But in the end, the turnovers left little chance to come away with the victory. Mahan finished with 15 points, Bell added 13 and Keegan came away with eight. Mahan also had four blocks on the day and corralled 16 rebounds.

“We’ve got to have better composure especially at the end of the game,” Lievre said. “We need to make better decisions with the ball. I think we put ourselves in the right spots but just didn’t make the right decisions. Hasn’t happened a lot when we’ve been winning the last six weeks but for whatever reason, against Mt. Sinai it reared its head.”

Mahan has been on an absolute tear during the Wildcats’ five game winning streak between the two Mt. Sinai games. Against Bayport-Blue Point (4-3, 8-5) last Thursday, the senior put up a season-high 35 points in the 69-63 overtime victory. She’s averaged 16.2 points over the course of the season.

Shoreham-Wading River’s final game of the season will be Feb. 15, then playoffs will start. That’s when Lievre wants the best version of his team to show up.

 “Tonight would have given us a chance at a league title or at least given us a higher seed come playoff time,” Lievre said. “But it is what it is at this point. We’re going to do our best the next four games and try to get as high of a seed as possible and then, once the playoffs start, anything goes. You only have the opponent in front of you.”

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