5 Photos
Bonacker Liam Fowkes takes a shot.
East Hampton's Liam Fowkes dribbles the ball upcourt.
An East Hampton player takes a shot.
A Bonacker shoots a three-pointer from the corner.
An East Hampton player tries to score on a layup.
The East Hampton boys basketball team will have to do without, arguably, its best player for the rest of the season.
In the first minute of the second quarter of last Thursday’s home game against Kings Park, Luke Reese landed awkwardly and had to come out of the game. He tried returning, but eventually had to come back out.
An MRI revealed a pretty significant tear in Reese’s meniscus in his knee, which will force him to miss the rest of the season, Bonacker head coach Dan White said on Tuesday morning. It’s not easy replacing 25 points and 10 rebounds per game, White said, but his players are going to have to step up.
“Our kids are unselfish,” he said. “Everyone’s going to have to be willing to do more with the basketball in their hands. We leaned on Luke to do a lot of things — not just score, so everyone is going to have to feel comfortable with their new roles in the next week or two. We’ve got to completely change how we play the game, so we’re going to have to go back to the drawing board. I’m not worried about the guys, they always play hard, but we have to figure out a way to play hard and competitive without running out of gas.”
That seemed to be the issue in both the Kings Park game and Monday night’s home game against Half Hollow Hills West. Despite losing Reese early in the second quarter against Kings Park, the Bonackers still outscored the Kingsmen, 15-12, in the third quarter and only trailed by six to start the fourth quarter. But Kings Park outscored East Hampton, 26-10, in the fourth, mostly late in the fourth when the Bonackers put on a full court press. Kings Park won, 72-50.
Similarly, against Hills West, the Bonackers led the Colts, 33-22, at halftime but slowly started to see that lead evaporate in the second half. Hills West took the lead with less than two minutes remaining and went on to win, 60-54.
East Hampton is scheduled to play at Sayville this Thursday, December 16, at 6:45 p.m. and will play a nonleague game two days later at East Islip on Saturday at 11:45 a.m. before returning home to host Rocky Point this Tuesday, December 21, at 6:15 p.m.
The East Hampton girls basketball team lost, 61-29, at home to Greenport/Southold on Saturday. Baye Bogetti led the Bonackers with 12 points and Claire McGovern chipped in with seven points.
The girls hosted Smithtown Christian on Tuesday night and will play at Southampton on Tuesday, December 21, at 6 p.m.
