The Vineyard boys basketball team knew heading into Saturday’s matchup that New Mission would be one of the tougher teams they faced all season, and that was made even more apparent when the other team immediately set a strong pace from the first tip-off.
But the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School boys varsity basketball team came through and defeated New Mission High School in an intense game at home, preserving their winning streak.
Head Coach Mike Joyce said the Vineyarders prepared to face a team with strong rebounding skills and a more physical style of play and felt that his team ultimately executed their game plan well.
“That was the best team we have played so far,” said Joyce after the game. “On the glass, I knew rebounding was going to be an issue, but I think we did okay. They had a couple possessions where they got three or four second chances, but for the most part, we kept them to one or two [rebounds], which was a big deal.”
The game kicked off at 3 pm on Saturday at the Island’s Pachico Gymnasium, and throughout the majority of the first quarter, the Vineyarders trailed behind New Mission. But with only minutes to go in the first quarter, the tides seemed to turn as the Island team started to find consistent success on their offensive pushes. The Vineyarders ended the first quarter 17-10 in their favor.
And the Vineyard boys continued to run away with the lead in the second quarter, while New Mission kept slowly chipping away at the deficit, keeping themselves within reach of a comeback. The second quarter ended with the Vineyarders leading 32-20.
At the start of the third quarter, New Mission looked like they had some new found momentum, coming out with a fresh intensity. Clawing their way back into the game with a series of successful offensive pushes and some sloppy fouls by the Vineyarders, New Mission tied the game up with minutes left in the third at 38-38.
“In the second half we got a little sloppy at the start,” said Joyce. “I felt like we threw the ball away five or six times in that third quarter, but then we cleaned that back up. I was very happy with how we took care of the ball, especially against that constant pressure.”
After some back and forth on the scoreboard between the two teams, with just minutes to go in the third quarter, the Vineyarders found their footing again. A series of fouls proved to be devastating for a potential New Mission comeback, awarding the Vineyarders’ Jacoby Light six free throws. He drained all of them, and the MVRHS team ended the quarter with a healthy 47-41 lead.
“That’s the game,” said Joyce of Light’s free throw points. ”They had all that momentum… and that’s an eight or nine point play in a tie game. In a game like that, if you get eight points, that’s big.”
The fourth quarter drew out some last ditch attempts from the New Mission team as the Vineyarders played a reserved and patient game to hold the lead and run out the clock. The game ended 61-47 and became the Vineyard basketball team’s sixth victory in a row.
So far this season, the Vineyarders have only lost one game; it was to the Nantucket Whalers in early December. Joyce said since that loss, the team discovered an appreciation for the importance of ball control.
“From that first loss at Nantucket, the kids have taken it to heart about taking care of the ball and playing hard. That’s 80 percent of wins. If you do those two things you’re in good shape,” said Joyce.
The basketball team’s next game is on Wednesday against Denni-Yarmouth High School at 5:30 pm at the Dennis Yarmouth High School.