VIDEO: Improving Warriors finding their identity through defense as they suffocate Pitman for fourth win in five games

Posted: January 21st 2026

Trevor Troiano, Nolan Mawhinney and Owen Bannon each scored in double figures to help the Wildwood High School boys basketball team to its fourth win in five games Tuesday.

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

WILDWOOD – The Wildwood High School boys basketball team shot six airballs in the first half of Tuesday’s game against Pitman.

The Warriors still managed to hold a seven-point lead at the half thanks to their defense.

Wildwood held Pitman to two first-half field goals in a low-scoring opening half to take a 14-7 lead at the break, then ran away from the Panthers in the second half in posting a 48-31 victory in a Tri-County Classic Division game.

The win was Wildwood’s fourth in five games.

“The first quarter wasn’t good and the second quarter was only a little better (offensively),” Wildwood coach Scott McCracken said. “At halftime, we told the kids to play with a little more confidence and start knocking down shots and they did. Hopefully that trend continues. But we really defended the whole game and that’s what I liked the most.

“We beat Pitman by four points the first time (in the team’s season opener in December). They have the same kids, and some of them can really shoot it, but we were able to win pretty comfortably this time. Our offense wasn’t great but the defense was very solid.”

Owen Bannon, a freshman, led the Warriors (6-6) with 13 points. He made three three-pointers in the second half, each one helping to create separation from the Panthers as Wildwood methodically pulled away.

Nolan Mawhinney, who was terrific defensively against Pitman leading scorer Parker DeChristopher (eight points through three quarters, 13 for the game), and Trevor Troiano each added 11 points for Wildwood.

Wildwood made six of its seven three-pointers in the second half to help build a lead as high as 21 points in the fourth quarter before settling for the 17-point victory.

Wildwood (6-6) got off to a slow start to the season, losing five of its first seven games.  But the Warriors have now held four of their last five opponents to 41 points or less. Its lone defeat during that stretch came at the hands of a good Millville team in a contest that was tied late in the fourth quarter before the Thunderbolts came away with a 41-36 win.

“We’ve played some bigger schools. I think the kids have realized that for us to be able to stay in games that we’re going to have to defend,” McCracken said. “I think the team’s getting better. The kids are buying in. Hopefully we can win some big games down the stretch,”

Wildwood, which is unbeaten in Tri-Co Classic games so far (4-0), is next in action Wednesday at Salem Tech.