The Gloucester boys hoop team needed this one.
After blowing a late double-digit lead and falling in heartbreaking fashion to Danvers in Monday evening’s BankGloucester Holiday Jamboree opener, the Fishermen returned to the court on New Year’s Eve with eyes set on a bounce back performance.
With his team hosting Salem Academy for a matinee tourney tilt, head coach Adam Philpott got just that from his group. Gloucester turned a narrow halftime advantage into a runaway 70-49 triumph, with 11 different players finding the scoresheet in the win.
“It was good to bounce back from a tough loss. We came out a little flat in the first half but the second half we were able to make some adjustments,” said Philpott, his team now 2-3. “I thought the second half the guys really played with energy and focus, and that’s what we’ve been looking for.”
Competing without the services of star freshman Kyle Ewans — who was out with a minor injury and expected back soon — Gloucester used a deep bench and got contributions across the board.
Junior starter Cole Mosley-Wynn led the charge with 15 points, earning All-Tournament honors in the process. Mosley-Wynn had dropped 18 to lead the Fishermen in Monday’s 72-70 setback to Danvers.
Another junior guard, Carlos Velazquez, continued his strong start to the year as well, chipping in 12 points, while junior Elijah Brooks had eight. Jude Szuter, a junior who has really come on as of late, took Ewans spot in the starting five and delivered a solid showing as well on both sides of the ball.
Gloucester led by single digits at the break, but turned it on in the third quarter to run away from the visitors for good.
“They were making shots and we just weren’t playing with the level of energy on the defensive end of the floor that we should be,” said Philpott. “But I was proud of the way we responded in the second half. We limited them to under 10 points in the third quarter and were able to get some younger guys a lot of reps in the fourth which was great.”
Sophomore Shane Widtfeldt, a tremendous athlete who shines for Gloucester’s varsity soccer and tennis squads, was brought up from JV and provided some quality minutes at guard. Fellow JV swing players Griffin Silva, a sophomore, and Will Aaron, a junior, also received some valuable burn.
The Fishermen also benefited greatly from the return of senior big man Jack Silveria, a would-be starter who had yet to play this season due to an ankle injury. At 6-foot-4, Silveria is Gloucester’s tallest player and provided an immediate spark on the glass and as an interior defender.
But perhaps most importantly, Silveria can stretch the floor with his shooting. He knocked down three triples and finished with 11 points in his season debut.
“It was great to get Jack back in the mix. He came out and didn’t seem to miss a beat,” said Philpott.
Silveria took home the tournament’s Blatchford Sportsmanship Award, given each year to one GHS senior.
Danvers took home the tournament title in the three-team showcase, following up Monday’s down-to-the-wire victory of GHS with a convincing 58-30 win over Salem Academy on Tuesday. Kyle Sillars (19 points, 6 steals, 5 assists against Salem Academy) snared Jamboree MVP while Luca Tirella was named to the All-Tourney team.
The road doesn’t get any easier for Gloucester, which will face tough tests against Salem (Monday) and Georgetown (Friday) next week before hosting Division 1 state power Beverly on Tuesday, Jan. 13.
“It was good to get this one because we have a tough stretch coming up,” said Philpott. “But we’re finally getting healthy; we’ve taken some lumps and have still yet to practice with a full roster, so it’s good timing getting guys back and healthy now as we approach the meat of our schedule.”
Sports Editor Nick Giannino may be contacted at 978-675-2712 or ngiannino@northofboston.com.