A special senior night

HSMSE boys' varsity basketball / D. Islam

The long awaited dynamic duo

Both of the High School for Math, Science, and Engineering boys’ and girls’ varsity basketball teams played in a doubleheader on February 4th at City College of New York’s gym. The highlight was watching senior forward Lameek White and sophomore forward Eric Abreu play together for the first time in the season. Abreu and White’s skills complimented each other well in the Dragons’ 52-45 win against Manhattan Village Academy.

“When I was out, there was a lot of things that [White] did that I couldn't do,” Abreu said. “The same thing when I came back [and he was out]. We put the puzzle together.”

Another key for the Dragons’ victory was their high intensity from the tip-off. Their energy gave them an 18-8 lead by the end of the first quarter. Both White and senior center Alex Long scored almost double their respective season averages.

“It’s the last home game of the season, [we] had to go out with a ‘W’,” White said.

Lady Dragons improve over previous match-up

The match-up between the Lady Dragons and Chelsea Career and Technical Education was the second of their season. After a 35-26 loss on their January 1st game, the Lady Dragons were determined to show their improvement.

HSMSE girls' varsity basketball team / D. Islam

The team lost their second game against Chelsea 41-35, but despite the loss, there was a silver lining. Though an early full-court press by Chelsea hurt the Lady Dragons, things turned around by the third quarter. The team began to maneuver around Chelsea’s defense while executing their own full-court press with success.

“At first we weren't playing our hardest,” sophomore guard Annabelle Shultz said, “but we always come back in the second half.”

Sophomore guard Hillary Rodriguez played a large role in the game with many steals leading to easy fast-break points. The key for Rodriguez was her great positioning as she played one of her best game this season. Her hustle reflected a team-wide improvement in the second half.

“[The team had] a lot more hustle and nose for the ball,” head coach David Scheiman said. “Being in the right place and the right time was the main thing.”

Young Dragons begin their journey

Kofi Kordie (left) / Din Islam

The High School for Math, Science, and Engineering Boys’ Basketball team kicked off their season opener with a 67-22 loss against Fiorello H Laguardia on December 4th at City College’s Nat Holman Gymnasium. Ten of the team’s total 13 athletes are underclassmen, which more closely resembles a junior varsity squad. Despite the loss, the game offered the young team valuable experience in varsity competition.

The game was also the first for head coach David Scheiman with the Dragons. Previously, Scheiman coached at Richard Green High School of Teaching from 2004-2012. During his time there, Scheiman won back to back division championships in the ‘07 and ‘08 seasons, as well as moving the team to the A-Division. Scheiman saw this game with an optimistic eye.

“I think we’re a very young team," Scheiman said. "For a lot of them, this is their first time playing varsity basketball. I think they got good exposure today. I think we did alright the first half. I think the second half we went out of gas. It’s important for them to learn the process of what its like to play on a high school varsity team."

From opening the team’s scoring with a three pointer, to finishing the game with 11 of his team’s 22 points, senior guard Kofi Kordie demonstrated his leadership.

“I think Kofi had a really good game today and really showed heart,” Scheiman said.

Kordie's ability to shake off any pre-game jitters of playing in front of the home crowd enhanced his performance during the game.

“I wasn’t really nervous during this game," Kordie said. "I guess that’s the reason why I shot a little bit better today."

Freshman point guard David Li showed flashes of future promise, dishing out two assists, but also made some careless turnovers.

Dionys Gutierrez (right) / Paul Lee

“I need to not turn over the ball as much and keep my head up” Li said. "I can improve on my passing and my scoring.”

One of the things missing from the Dragons’ game was their ability to capitalize off of turnovers and defensive stops. A series of crowd-raising blocks by senior center Dionys Gutierrez failed to result in any points in transition. His defensive presence alone will not be enough to push this team forward unless they can find a way to convert easy shots near the basket.

This is the beginning of a rebuilding process for the Dragons, after the graduation of 1,000 point scorer Kavan Edwards. With ten underclassmen, HSMSE's team has a promising foundation to build upon in the upcoming season.