The Martha's Vineyard Times

Martha's Vineyard tops Bishop Feehan in EAC hoops showdown

By Ralph Stewart
January 8, 2013

Photo by Ralph Stewart

Izak Browne soars above Bishop Feehan's Michael Pasquarose for a shot. [More Photos]

Eastern Athletic Conference boys basketball archrivals Martha's Vineyard and Bishop Feehan met for the first time this season Tuesday in front of a large, raucous crowd at the Sancy in Oak Bluffs.

Jack Roberts scored 18 points and Izak Browne had 17 as the Vineyard took round one, 68-59, in a matchup of league heavyweights.

The teams have battled each other for the last three league championships. The Vineyarders won the title outright the past two seasons and shared honors with the Shamrocks in 2009-10.

As they have done so often this season, the Vineyarders overcame uneven shooting, particularly at the free throw line (15 for 28), and pulled away from the Shamrocks with a tenacious, smothering defense.

With the win, the Vineyarders improved to 7-2 overall and 2-0 in the EAC. The next league test comes Friday afternoon with a home tilt against Somerset Berkley.