Senior-Laden Whalers Win Season Opener at Home Over Smithtown Christian

The Pierson boys basketball team kicked off the season by cruising to a 76-52 win at home over Smithtown Christian in a nonleague game on Friday night, in front of a big home crowd.

The Whalers overcame what head coach Dan White described as a sub-par defensive effort in the first half, holding the Knights to just six points in the third quarter to go into the final frame with a 60-35 lead that would prove to be insurmountable.

Pierson’s four standout seniors all scored in double digits for a balanced attack, with Luke Seltzer leading the way with 22 points, Dom Mancino with 14, Aven Smith with 12 and Charlie McLean with 10.

White, who is in his first year back as head coach of the team after coaching at East Hampton for the past several years, said he was happy with the way his team picked it up in the second half.

“We did a bad job defensively in the first half,” he said. “It wasn’t an effort thing, we just made a lot of bad decisions. But scoring wasn’t a problem for us throughout the game.”

White said Smithtown Christian was a strong opponent despite the lopsided final score.

“They were good,” he said. “They have some kids that can really play. They have four quick guards and a big guy.”

The Whalers are a senior-heavy team this year, and White said he expects Seltzer, Mancino, Smith and McLean to lead the squad, while adding that senior Keanu King, the team’s primary ballhandler and a strong on-ball defender, will be a key player as well.

A trio of juniors — Lance Schroeder, Ryan Ziemer and Matthew Greenwald — will see time on the floor as well.

“Whoever does the best job taking care of the ball and playing the best defense will get those minutes,” he said of the juniors.

Pierson, a Class B school this season, will compete in League VI this season, alongside fellow Class B teams Babylon, Mattituck and Port Jefferson, as well as Class A teams Bayport-Blue Point, Shoreham-Wading River, Center Moriches and Southampton.

White said he likes the extra challenge of competing alongside those squads. In years past, the Whalers competed in League VIII with smaller schools like Smithtown Christian, Southold, Greenport and Shelter Island.

Pierson was scheduled to visit Westhampton Beach for another nonleague game on Tuesday, and travel to Mount Sinai for a nonleague game this Friday, December 8, at 4:30 p.m. The Whalers will visit Southold for a nonleague game on December 12 at 6:15 p.m., before visiting Bayport for the League VI opener on December 20 at 4 p.m.