Somers basketball wins big on Senior Night

SOMERS, N.Y. — On Tuesday, Jan. 21, Somers celebrated Senior Night against Croton-Harmon, and while the festivities lingered, the drama did not. Scoring the game’s first nine points and racing out to a 22–6 lead, the Tuskers made sure everyone got involved early.

“We got everyone in and everyone incorporated — it was really fun,” said Arman Rao after the 70–32 victory.

Long before the outcome was decided, Chris Decker set the tone. After Leo Keimig opened the game by burying a three, Decker tipped in a miss, finished Julian Rosa’s long outlet pass for a fast-break basket, and drove hard to the glass.

Even with a 9–0 start, nothing was taken lightly — especially by Decker. “We don’t look past anyone,” Rao said. “It’s good to see him play hard.”

The senior center was far from finished. He muscled in another putback and sprinted ahead of the break for yet another layup, keeping the momentum firmly on Somers’ side.

As the team and crowd continued to build energy, one of the loudest cheers came on a putback by James Brinn. Known for his enthusiasm off the bench, Brinn’s limited minutes have never dampened his spirit — or his teammates’ support.

“Everyone cheers for him,” Rao said with a smile. “He’s a loud guy. He’s everyone’s friend, and it’s nice to see him get a bucket.”

After two quick baskets by the Tigers, there was no concern from the Somers guards. Kareef Martin and Keimig calmly answered with back-to-back threes to push the lead to 22–6.

Martin followed with a baseline pull-up jumper, Decker added another putback, and Rao capped the run by launching a three of his own to make it 32–8.

With the outcome largely settled, Decker provided the night’s final moment of suspense. Racing down the court with no defender in sight, the crowd anticipated a dunk — but it wasn’t meant to be.

“I was too far under,” Decker admitted afterward.

He quickly shook it off and was back at it moments later, though the miss offered a little fuel for future practice banter. “For sure,” Rosa joked. “We’re going to hassle him a bit.”

All joking aside, Rosa emphasized what the night truly meant. “All the boys had a great Senior Night,” he said. “It’s something we’re definitely going to remember for a long time.”