Pierson Boys Basketball Adds to Spirit Night Festivities With Sparkling Play

As if Spirit Night at Pierson High School needed any more glitz and glamour, seniors Dom Mancino and Luke Seltzer were there to provide a little razzle-dazzle.

Thirty seconds into the second quarter of the Pierson boys basketball team’s game against Center Moriches on Friday night, Seltzer stole the ball at midcourt and immediately tossed an outlet pass to Mancino on the wing. As Mancino dribbled a few steps up the court, he found Seltzer racing up the court and tossed up a perfectly placed alley-oop pass, which Seltzer brought down emphatically with two hands.

The play brought those who weren’t already standing due to the packed gym to their feet, and it was just that kind of night for the Whalers, who went on to win handily, 60-35.

After the game, Seltzer, who finished with a game-high 31 points, was signing shoes and other items for future varsity players.

“It just really gets the atmosphere going,” he said after the game. “Two points is two points no matter how you get it, but the extra flash is always nice.”

Mancino, who finished with 12 points, said the alley-oop is something he and Seltzer have been working on in practice. Seltzer said he just missed a lob in the Whalers’ 52-43 victory at Mattituck on January 3, so he felt as if he needed to come through and get the team’s first one in the books on Friday night.

“It just felt good off the hand, and he just took off,” Mancino said. “With this crowd, like, 500 heads all of them screaming all at once, you get fired up and it’s like you’re on a different planet.”

Outside of the flashiness of an alley-oop, the players reiterated that it seemed to have an effect on Center Moriches, as Pierson stole the next two possessions that led to a quick run before the Red Devils were forced to call a timeout.

It was an all around well-played game by the Whalers, who also limited Center Moriches to just four points in the second quarter.

“I think we made some good personnel decisions closing out on two of their guys that could knock it down, or that usually knock it down,” Pierson head coach Dan White said. “The best part of the game, for me, was that we didn’t rebound defensively at Mattituck and that’s why that game was as close as it was. Friday, we got all over the glass, which was good to see after putting a real emphasis on it for the game.

“I’m hoping going forward we do that every time instead of just Spirit Night,” he added of his team’s play. “The next step for this team is to be consistent in a very different atmosphere than at home. When we have a bus ride away, we’re trying to get them to lock in.”

With just under 4:30 remaining in the fourth quarter, White unloaded his bench and got some playing time for the number of reserves on the team. Ryan Ziemer scored four points in the limited time he had on the court.

The players said afterward how much Spirit Night meant to them and the community.

“Our coach told us this town really cares about our basketball,” Seltzer said. “This many people go out of their way to show up to our game, we have to give them a little show.

“It’s great, all of my boys were here,” Mancino said. “I was a little nervous. There were a lot of people here, the gym was packed, but it was fun. Luke and I have been playing together all our lives, so to get that alley-oop and the win, it just feels good.”

Pierson played at Shoreham-Wading River on Tuesday, and was expected to host Port Jefferson this Thursday, January 11, at 6:15 p.m. The Whalers will then have six days off before their next game at Babylon on January 17 at 4:30 p.m.