Wareham Vikings miss South Coast Conference championship title after 78-70 loss

Feb 17, 2018

With the South Coast Conference championship on the line, the Wareham boys basketball team lost 78-70 against undefeated Apponequet on Friday night in Lakeville.

Trailing by 22 points in the third quarter, the team’s largest deficit of the night, the Vikings didn’t quit. The team closed the gap, coming within 6 points late in the fourth quarter, nearly pulling off another come-from-behind win this season.

Ultimately, foul trouble for Wareham’s Nick Perry and Apponequet’s size were the deciding factors in the loss.

“The key is rebounding,” said Head Coach Steve Faniel. “They absolutely dominated us on the board, especially early on.”

Perry, a 6’1’ forward, was sidelined early due to fouls, forcing Faniel to switch up his roster.

“We had guys playing positions they don’t normally play,” he said. “But we’ve got to do a better job.”

Sophomore Dominic Mello, who has propelled the team to several wins this year, agreed.

“We didn’t match their tempo,” said Mello, a guard. “Rebounding was a big problem.”

Despite the loss, the team still has postseason play to look forward to. This is the second consecutive year the Vikings have made the playoffs and Faniel’s third year as head coach.

Following Friday’s game, the Vikings record is 12-6 overall and 10-4 in conference play. Mello said the team is looking forward to Monday’s game against undefeated Bishop Stang High School, set for 1 p.m. at Apponequet Regional High School in Lakeville.

“We’ve got some big games coming up,” said Mello. “Hopefully we can win them.”