On this day eight years ago, the boys’ basketball team took on Mercy in a tilt between two unbeaten teams. The importance of the game in the scope of League VIII was reflected in the play of both squads during the first quarter. The pace was fast and the atmosphere intense as the Bears took the opening frame, 20-19. The Monarchs bounced back in the second quarter as their hard-nosed defense held the Brook to just seven points as they built a five-point halftime lead.

The Bears came out of the gates quickly in the second half and rode the effort of Sean Sprauve, who dominated underneath the hoop, to a 16-13 quarter, leaving them down just two entering the final frame. The Blue and White finally clawed back to tie the game with 2:30 remaining and, after a frenetic two minutes, took a 1-point lead with 17 seconds left. The Bears had a chance to extend their lead, but a miss on a wide-open layup and a squandered 1-and-1 opportunity gave the ball back to Mercy.

The Bears got a huge stop, stripping the Monarch’s best player and getting the ball back. Sprauve was fouled with just seconds remaining and, on a night when he missed 16 free throws, he coolly sank both tries as the raucous crowd taunted him, sealing the 58-55 win. Sprauve finished with a career-high 26 points, Steve Harney contributed 10, Brendan Penn and Ed Rooney each scored 8, and Burt Vimont chipped in with 6.

Senior Sean Sprauve scored seven points in a row as Stony Brook (3-0) ended the game on a 10-2 run. Ed Rooney's three-pointer began the run. Sprauve had a career-high 26 points. 

~ Newsday

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