The Westport basketball team celebrated the new year with an undefeated 4-0 record, after beating Tiverton 63-48 and crushing Brooke Charter School 74-38 during the East Bay Holiday Tournament last week. Senior forward Aidan Rock led the Wildcats with 22 points and Hunter Brodeur netted 13 in the team’s game against Tiverton at Tiverton High School on Tuesday, Dec. 28.

“Aidan played well. He was on fire in the first half,” said Westport head coach Scot Boudria after the game.

Tiverton switched their defense to a diamond and one, said Coach Boudria. “We had to switch up and have others step up. That’s when Hunter began to score.”

“Westport played really good basketball tonight,” added Tiverton head coach Dave Landoch. “I can’t say enough about what Scot has done with his team. They move the ball, rebound well, shoot well and play with intensity.”

Tiverton junior guard Tristan White scored 17 points, senior forward Luke Deldeo added 13, and senior guard Owen Pasquale sunk two threes for the Tigers.

“Tristan is one of my most consistent players,” said Coach Landoch. “He’s an extremely hard worker, has a tremendous love of the game and wants to win at all cost. Luke always gives his best,” said Coach Landoch. “He’s one of the best athletes in the school.”

Tiverton loss to Johnston 63-35 in their second tournament game and fell to 0-5 to start the year. The Tigers also may have lost junior forward Nate Sama for a spell after the big man came down wrong on his ankle while defending the Tiverton basket during the Westport game. 

Friendly rivalry 

The two schools and coaches have made the annual game into a friendly rivalry since their initial contest in 2014. 

“It’s a good tradition. We have a lot of respect for each other,” Coach Landoch said. 

“We know it’s all cyclical and the kids determine who wins,” said Coach Boudria. “I tried pressing them in the beginning and they were breaking the press pretty good. His kids were working the ball very well. The shots weren’t falling for them, but they moved the ball extremely well. It’s obvious that they are well coached. They just had to capitalize and finish. That was the difference in the game.”

Westport scored 20 first period points and led 33-23 at halftime. Rock scored 15 in the first half and sank two three pointers. Brodeur and Leary each added two threes during the game. Coach Boudria used a bigger rotation than usual against Tiverton, mixing in Jayden Zuber, Cam Leary, Ben Poitras and others with starters Rock, Vitorino, Brodeur, Ben Boudria and Owen Boudria. Zuber has been working hard in practice and Coach Boudria wanted to reward the effort. 

“Jayden boxed out really well,” he said. “He finished, He listens. He tries to do what I ask him to do. That’s all you can ask as a coach. Cam went two for three from the three point line. That was big,” Coach Boudria said.

Forward Ben Poitras was a strong force under the basket during the Tiverton game. The big senior transferred to Westport from Bristol Aggie last year and is new to the team this season. 

“Ben is a good athlete. This is the first time that he is really getting to play competitive high school basketball. He’s learning, but it takes a long time.” 

Coach Boudria feels that in any given game, he could have a high scorer from about five or six different players which will bold well as the team plays a few more non league games before starting their Mayflower Athletic Conference schedule in mid January.

“I’m confident in those players that if I need to go to them, they’ll succeed,” he said. “It was a good team effort. We work hard on defense. I think that we are slowly starting to box out better. It’s taken time but we are starting to come along.”

Soccer captains turned hoopsters Nick Arruda and Jon Letendre played some fourth quarter minutes for the Wildcats. Arruda was fouled and had two free throw attempts and Letendre drove the lane for a layup, but neither was able to get the ball to fall. 

 Next Up:

Westport will host Greater New Bedford Regional Vo-tech on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. and travel to Diman on Friday at 6:30 p.m.

Tiverton jumps right into the thick of their Division II schedule as they travel to Pilgrim on Tuesday at 7 p.m. and host Rogers on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Stats 

Westport scoring:

Aidan Rock scored 22 points, Hunter Brodeur scored 13 points, Cam Leary scored 6 points, Dom Vitorino scored 5 points, Ben Poitras scored 5 points, Liam Malloy scored 4 points, Ben Boudria scored 3 points, Jayden Zuber scored 3 points, Owen Boudria scored 2 points. 

Tiverton scoring:

Tristan White scored 17 points, Luke Deldeo scored 13 points, Ben Pacheco scored 7 points, Owen Pasquale scored 6 points, Carlin Phillips scored 3 points, Keegan Dutelle scored 2 points.