Yesterday evening at the respective boys’ and girls’ basketball coaches meetings, sophomore Owen Sobel and seventh-grader Niamh Scanlon were each named the League VII Rookie of the Year in their respective leagues.
After leading the boys’ JV basketball team to the League Championship a season ago, Sobel emerged as a key contributor for the varsity this season, helping to lead the Bears to their 18th straight playoff appearance. His breakout game was a 14-point, 11-rebound effort in a 44-40 overtime win over Port Jeff on January 26. From there he continued to play a crucial role in filling in for injured leading scorer James Toney by pulling down 17 rebounds in a 46-38 win over Mattituck, recording another double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds in a 51-43 win at Mercy, scoring 20 points in an overtime loss to Class B power Babylon, and scoring 17 and grabbing 13 boards in the regular season finale at Port Jeff. He currently leads the team in both offensive rebounds (65) and defensive rebounds (115), is second on the team in blocks (13) and field goal percentage (50.9%), and third on the team in points (152). Two other boys have won the League Rookie of the Year Award as Jyles Etienne took it home in 2015 and Andrew Daniel in 2013.
Scanlon, despite being just a middle schooler, has made a big impact for the varsity girls this season, helping to lead the Bears back to the playoffs for the first time since 2013. Her breakout game came against Pierson on January 19 as her career-high nine points helped power the Brook to a 49-45 win over the Whalers. Each of her four jumpers in that game were timely as the Bears clung to a narrow lead for most of the game. She followed that up with eight points in a narrow loss to Class A Wyandanch, nine points vs. undefeated League Champion Mattituck, and eight points in a 49-40 win over Center Moriches. Her fearlessness, willingness to shoot, and sure-handedness with the ball belies her age. She will be a huge asset for the Bears in the coming years.
_____________________________________________________________
stonybrookbears.org 