In Thursday’s opener against Lincoln Leadership Academy, the Whitehall boys showed that they can get up and down the court, cruising to a double-digit victory to get the Bash at the Beach off on the right foot.

Whitehall boys went 3-2 for the tournament, beginning with that 71-41 victory over Lincoln Leadership Academy in one of the tip-off games during the Bash at the Beach, the annual scholastic basketball tournament held at Cedar Beach in Allentown that attracts teams from across the northeast.

After that win, they lost to Allentown Central Catholic, sending them into the consolation bracket. Their next opponent was Boyertown, and they emerged with a win, putting them opposite Catasauqua as they climbed through the consolations. They defeated the Rough Riders setting up a date with Parkland. Their loss to the Trojans on Saturday eliminated them from the tourney.

Berks Catholic eventually won the Bash, claiming the title for the second year in a row. They defeated Emmaus 54-48 to nab the championship.

In the early stages of the game against Lincoln, Ricky Melosky, Tyler Holubowski, and Andrew Lochard all scored in transition to stake the Zephyrs to an early lead. In fact, Holubowski and Melosky converted a number of fast break buckets to give Whitehall a commanding lead.

Head coach Jeff Jones said that their mindset when it comes to running and getting out in transition will be similar to last season.

“When we have the opportunity to run, we’re going to take advantage of it,” said Jones.

With their ability to dominate the boards against LLA, they were able to get out and run, demonstrating their ability to score in transition. It’s a phase of the game that Jones said will be seized upon whenever the opportunity arises.

In that win, the Zephyrs were paced by Joe Lisicky who finished with 22 points. Jones said that Lisicky is making his presence felt this summer.

“We’re excited about Joey and what he can do,” said Jones.

Jones also liked the way they competed throughout the tournament, especially in their game against Allentown Central Catholic which was decided by three points. Jones said it was tied late in the game, but a couple of late miscues titled the game in the Vikings favor.

Even with that tough loss, Jones said what stood out over the course of the tourney was the leadership of seniors-to-be Melosky and Joe Herman.

“I thought those guys really stepped up their leadership,” said Jones.

He also said that both players carry themselves like varsity ballplayers.

He said both players logged a lot of minutes last season, and their experience, coupled with their willingness to take on leadership roles, will be extremely valuable as they head into the new school year.

That win also featured some strong play by Dylan McGinley and Adin Hoderewski. Those two, along with Holubowski, have all made an impact this summer. Jones said that all three are working hard and should be integral parts of their rotation moving forward.

They also got some good interior play from Jake Gladish who corralled a couple of offensive boards in their win against LLC.

Jones said that they’re still searching for a true point guard. He said the summer presents younger players with the opportunity to make a claim on some of those open spots.

Whitehall will continue competing in the Allentown Summer League, with games Tuesdays and Thursdays this summer. They’ll also participate in the A-Town Throwdown which is set to begin July 13-15 at Cedar Beach.