In their first home game of the season, the MIHS Boys Basketball team defeated Newport 61-53, Tuesday, April 20, improving to 3-0.

The Islanders held a comfortable 13-point lead at halftime, but Newport slowly narrowed the lead to four points, with two minutes left to play.

However, after numerous shots from junior Chris Clark and senior David Pickles, the Islanders were able to hold on to their lead.

“I thought in the first half we really executed our gameplan, we came out strong and we came into half with a good, sizable lead,” Pickles said. “Coming into the second half, we had to settle for some shots and then we kind of let them back into the game, but I was proud of how we executed in the last two minutes.”

The Islanders had a sizable student section cheering them on, which contributed to the overall excitement on the court. However, Tuesday’s victory was especially thrilling because the game marked the Islanders’ first home competition in over a year.

“It’s been more than 14 months [since our last game], that’s how long we have waited,” Pickles said. “I was glad that we could get some fans in here and there’s no better feeling than playing a basketball game on your home court at Mercer Island High School.”

The Islanders will look to continue their winning streak against Bellevue, their rival, on Friday, April 23.