SWR boys sharpen skills in summer hoops league

The Shoreham-Wading River boys basketball, currently playing in a summer league, started out the school season on fire last winter, winning eight of their first 10 games heading into winter break.

The new year wasn’t as kind to them, losing eight of their next 10 games to miss the playoffs. But with most of the team back this year, they’re trying to channel their beginning-of-the-season energy in the Town of Brookhaven Summer League.

“That was a really tough stretch for us last year,” SWR head coach Kevin Culhane said. “There’s no days off in our league with the amount of talent we have to play. If things aren’t clicking right, and we’re not playing our best ball, it’s hard to win those games.”

So far in the summer league, the Wildcats have shown more of that winning mentality. With everyone having another year of experience under their belt, the chemistry and talent among those on the roster has only elevated. Shoreham-Wading River has won both of their games by over 30 points, including Tuesday night’s 64-33 win over Port Jefferson at Albert G. Prodell Middle School in Shoreham.

“The kids played their butts off today,” Culhane said. “We’re finally at a point where we’re looking as good as we’ve ever seen as a team. We came up with steals and baskets in transition the entire game. We talked about getting ahead and staying ahead, so I’m happy we accomplished that today.”

The lead grew to 40 early in the second half before Port Jefferson started finding its range from the three point line to cut the deficit. The Wildcats, who were missing players due to other obligations, came into the game with only six players, forcing everyone to play big minutes in the hot gym.

“We did get sloppy at times though,” Culhane said. “I know the ball is wet, and I know we’re tired, but we need to play a mistake-free game from start to finish. That is what hurt us last year, and that’s what we need to correct and work on this summer. We need to finish with the same intensity as we started.”

James Cook, was more of a sixth man last year, has emerged as a true threat on the offensive side of the ball. Against Port Jefferson, he scored a game-high 22 points and almost outscored the Royals himself. He would have scored more if he didn’t get into foul trouble and foul out at the end of the game.

“Cook is a great player,” Culhane said. “We always knew he had it in him. He’s got the talent, he just needed to put it all together. We expect big things from him this year.”

Also playing major roles next year will be Max Boerum, Carter Baumeister, Tyler Lievre and Zach Makarewicz. Boerum scored 14 on Tuesday and both Baumeister and Lievre added 10. Makarewicz was among those missing. Those three combined for 10 steals that led to easy buckets at the other end. Lievre also brought down 10 rebounds and collected five assists.

“I feel like people underestimate what Baumeister does for this team,” Culhane said. “Maybe he doesn’t score the most points out of everyone, but he is the glue for us. He does all the dirty work for us. He’s diving after loose balls and consistently coming up with big plays for us. He’s a leader for us entering his senior year.”

With the 2-0 record in the “ACC” division for the Town of Brookhaven, the Wildcats will continue to ride the wave and try to replicate their efforts going forward to stay at the top. They’re back in action Thursday, July 10, against Rocky Point at Albert G. Prodell Middle School. First tip is scheduled for 8 p.m.