Seniors Lead Way On Senior Tribute Night

To honor the seniors on the Schreiber boys varsity basketball team, coach Sean Dooley started all five of his outgoing players against Valley Stream on Senior Tribute Night on Friday.

"The five seniors have been the main five players," Dooley said. "They've been the leaders of the team and have given everything they can to the program."

With Jason Desimone, Adam Epstein, Ethan Sander, Dan Bernstein and Harrison Remler leading the way, the Vikings took down the Eagles, 61-58. Bernstein led the way with 20 points, while Epstein, Desimone and Sandler all had double figures on the night with 13, 11 and 10, respectively.

The Vikings led from the four-minute mark in the first period when Sander hit a three-pointer until the final buzzer sounded.

"This game was one of my most memorable games because of the adrenaline rush I felt throughout the game," Sander said.

Bernstein said playing with the other soon-to-be graduates added to the aura of Friday's game. "The five seniors' chemistry was strong tonight," he said. "It could not have been better."

That chemistry was apparent in the third period when the Vikings outscored the Eagles to take a 14-point lead, heading into the fourth.

With Epstein on the bench due to foul trouble, Central came storming back getting within six with three minutes remaining in the contest.

Although Schreiber never relinquished the lead, the team couldn't stop the Eagles' Jeremiah Mordi in the fourth. Mordi ended with a game-high 26 points. Central teammate Reggie Dennis added 21 on nine field goals.

With the Vikings leading by three with less than two minutes remaining, Desimone was fouled on consecutive trips down the floor, making all four foul shots which essentially ended the Eagles' comeback hopes.

Coach Dooley, in a sentimental mood, called a timeout with 50 seconds left to get the five seniors back on the floor together for the final seconds of their home careers.

"The season has been tough, but we feel good about playoffs," Dooley said. "We have a good opportunity to win our first game. Tonight's win definitely boosted our confidence."

The Vikings finish out their regular season on Monday, Feb. 8, at Baldwin. The team will then host a playoff game on Thursday, Feb. 11, at Schreiber High School. The opponent and time of game has yet to be determined.

"We're in a tough conference," Desimone said, "but we don't give up and are going to keep working hard heading into the playoffs."

Before leaving his home floor for the final time, senior captain Adam Epstein said, "My four years on varsity have been wonderful. Through the ups and the downs, I loved every minute of it."