THE WARRIORS return to the Charbonneau Field House tomorrow at 3 p.m. to host Salem, 10 days after their loss to Arlington on the road. (File Photo)
By DAN PAWLOWSKI
ARLINGTON — The Wakefield High boys’ basketball team suffered their first loss of the season on Dec. 20, falling to Arlington 58-51 on the road. Wakefield (2-1) has had plenty of time to reset for their next game, which will take place tomorrow, 3 p.m. against Salem at the Charbonneau Field House.
The Warriors, who scored 69 in their first win over Lexington and 70 in their second win over Wilmington, couldn’t find their rhythm at the Toczylowski Gym, plagued by turnovers and unable to get into their preferred pace.
Trailing 31-19 at the half, Wakefield fought back in the 3rd quarter, winning the frame by a 14-7 count to cut it to 38-33 going into the 4th, but the Spy Ponders continued to turn steals into easy buckets, especially for junior Kayden Mills who scored 10 of his game-high 20 in the final quarter.
Senior captain Mike Wilkinson scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half to spark the comeback for Wakefield. He also added 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 6 steals.
Senior captain Ethan Margolis kept his team in it during the first half when Wilkinson got into some early foul trouble. Margolis finished with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 7 steals.
As evidenced by the combined 13 steals from Wilkinson and Margolis, Wakefield found success of their own in forcing turnovers, especially in their full court press and half court zone defense but in the end, the disjointed nature of the game favored the home team who built off the momentum in their own gym and never let Wakefield get fully back into it.
ETHAN MARGOLIS had 12 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 7 steals in Wakefield’s loss to Arlington on Dec. 20. (File Photo)
It took the Warriors five minutes to get their first points on a 3-ball from junior Connor Mauriot with an assist to senior captain John Porter.
A nice hesitation dribble and finger roll from junior De’Ari Burton (10 pts, 5 reb, 2 stl) ended the first quarter with Arlington up 14-9. Mills scored 8 points for the Ponders in the opening frame.
Margolis had a couple of nice pull-up, midrange jumpers in the 2nd quarter but they were largely necessary to quell the storm as Arlington got 7 points from senior Jayden Williams (15 pts) in the quarter as they started to find success on the offensive end.
Wakefield’s great response in the 3rd quarter started on the defensive end, with an all-out press and relentless pressure leading to quick baskets, none better than a steal from Wilkinson and a no-look drop off to Burton who finished on the other side of the hoop to make it 33-21.
That’s a trend that continued from Wilkinson and Margolis throughout the second half, a bounce pass from Wilkinson to sophomore Matt Beaver cut the lead to single digits and Wilkinson later found Margolis on a full-court dish at the buzzer to make it 38-33 after three.
The Warriors cut it to 38-36 after a Wilkinson and-one early in the 4th but Mills and the Ponders settled in, forcing 8 turnovers from Wakefield in the final frame alone to seal up the win.
Wakefield will look to get back on track against Salem tomorrow before jumping back into Middlesex League play on Tuesday, 6 p.m. at home against Woburn.
