Owen Boudria scored 29 points as the Westport basketball team fell to Seekonk 60-50 in a non-league battle at Seekonk High School on Friday night. The loss drops the Wildcats’ record to 3-6 with league play starting next week.

“We’re still growing as a team,” said head coach Scot Boudria. “We fought real hard to come back. At times we step up. At times we make our outside shots. We finish layups. It’s the inconsistency against schools that are bigger than us.”

Boudria who scored just 5 points in the first half, put on a clinic and scored 24 points in the second half. The slippery high school superstar who hit just one 3-pointer, had to dribble, soar, slip and slide by a double and triple team of thuggery types to get to the hoop as Westport closed the gap to six points in the second half.

“I need to stop turning over the ball,” Owen Boudria said after the game. “And we need to hit our open shots. We need to keep on working and keep on shooting and hope for the best.”

Chris Duarte scored 7, Anthony Raposa scored 5, Cole Boudria scored 4, Will Quinlan and Dane Leary each scored 2 and Max Gallant added a foul shot in the loss.

Seekonk bullied Westport in the first half with their goon-ball style of play. Warriors guard Noah Beausoleil scored 10 points as Seekonk led 27-13 at halftime. Westport was mugged by the Seekonk bigs every time they got close to the basket. The Wildcats playing with a short bench due to injured players, didn’t make them pay, scoring just 4 of 8 from the free-throw line.

Head coach Scot Boudria exacted a strategy for the second half and boasted a comeback as Westport emerged from the locker room.

The plan worked.

Westport pressed the Seekonk guards into coughing up the ball and essentially took their big men out of play as they turned the game into a track meet and cut the lead to 6 points in the third quarter.

Junior Will Quinlan, a major part of the plan with his speed and quickness, was injured mid-way through the quarter. The soccer star attempted to drive to the hoop between Seekonk bigs Lucas Pereira and Grayson Baldizar. As he dribbled through the gauntlet he took an elbow to the head from Pereira and slammed to the floor. He held his head as he lie face down in the paint.

He was checked by the trainer and was unable to return.

“With three players being out…our bench isn’t that deep. We can just do our best and that’s it.” Owen Boudria said.

The loss was too much for the already shorthanded Wildcats. Seekonk increased their lead to 42-28 after three quarters in spite of a 12 point solo effort by Boudria.

The junior scored 12 more in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to overtake the Warriors.

“We stepped up, played more physical and were able to get easier shots,” said Coach Boudria. “Anthony made a big 3-pointer, but we need a bunch of those if we are going to come back and win.”

Power ranking is 29th

Westport’s power ranking is currently 29th in Division 5 as the team heads into league play this week up against the likes of Holbrook and an undefeated Avon team.

“I know what we’re capable of,” Owen Boudria said. “We’re better than that. The season hasn’t gone to plan, but we’re going to keep on fighting. You never know.”

“We have to earn our keep,” said Coach Boudria. “We’ll see how good we are.”

Next up: Westport travels to Holbrook on Thursday at 5 p.m. and Southeastern on Friday at 6:30 p.m.