Mattituck Boys Basketball Team Defeats Bridgehampton 72-26

The Mattituck boys varsity basketball team defeated Bridgehampton on Friday night 72-26 in their first  non-league game.

Head coach Paul Ellwood had high hopes for the first game and for the season.

"Team chemistry is excellent, players are very unselfish and their first priority is the team's success — not individual stats," he said, adding that the boys hope to make the playoffs for the first time in six years this season.

The team has a very strong lineup with seniors Thomas and Steven Ascher, Connor Davis, Mike Mangiamele, Yianni Rauseo, Cody Huntly, Jovan Booker, and Ryan Dinizio and juniors Austin Tuthill, Conner Egan, Ryan Malone, Matt Jacobs, and Tom Sledjeski.

Ellwood said he hoped "our senior leadership and experience will help us get through the first game "jitters" and we will settle down and play the way we are capable."

The boys certainly overcame their jitters ending the first quarter with a pair of free throws by Yianni Rauseo and a score or 17-11. By the end of the half, the score was 41-14 with a Mattituck lead. The boys scored free throws consistently throughout the game.

In the second half Rauseo was fouled but his basket was good and he made the free throw bringing the score to 44-14. Sledjeski went to the line five times in the second half and scored eight points. Malone and Dinizio also scored pairs of free throws. Tom Ascher scored a perfect swish in the middle of the fourth quarter and Booker nailed a three pointer. The game ended with a three-point swish by Dinizio and a score of 72-26.