The boys’ varsity basketball team played a competitive game against Plainedge on January 15 at 7:00 PM. The game was hosted at Lynbrook, and the team came out on top with a victory over Plainedge, with a final score of 76 to 36. This was the team’s “senior game”, which spotlighted players from the class of 2026 and allowed them to play for the majority of the game. 

Prior to the game, the team had a ceremony at 6:30 PM to honor the senior players. A total of 11 seniors on the team were featured, and the top performers of the game were three of those 11 seniors who possess notable qualities like sportsmanship and comradery. This was also the team’s benefit game to support the Medulloblastoma Initiative and Lynbrook’s Nugent family. Freshman Luca Cali said, “The team is doing great, and the seniors are a very big contribution to our team. The benefit game was definitely a hit, and I think all of our players performed well.” 

This game honored Kimberly Nugent and helped fundraise for her family. Nugent and her family are from Lynbrook. Nugent was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor that has prevented her from participating in the sports she loved. To show their support, the boys’ basketball team wore purple jerseys for this fundraiser. Coach Brian Donaldson said, “We preach to our players that being a part of a team is more than what you do on the court. Being a part of the team is also helping out the community. During this year’s benefit game, our players wanted to honor Kim and the Nugent family, and I think they did that admirably.”

For this game, the top performers were seniors Devin Ryan with 14 points, Jake Prince with 15, and Aaron Malinka contributing 10. Overall highest point scorer Prince said, “I am able to take on a leadership role as one of the team’s captains, and holding teammates accountable is important to being the best team possible every time we step on the court. As a team, no matter the outcome, we play fair and respectful. We would rather show our skill and the work we put in to show who we are as a team. The benefit game is very important to us and the community since it helps raise money for cancer. I think it brought everyone together to raise spirit and demonstrate that our team is more than just basketball!” Devin Byrne, another senior on the team, said, “Being a senior definitely has changed my role on the team, and I feel that every day I have to be a leader. All of the seniors have felt that we needed to step up this year to go far, and that’s exactly what we’ve done this year. I feel like our team has good sportsmanship, and as a group we do a good job keeping the conversation between our team and having that communication.” Byrne added, “Having a benefit game is important because it isn’t really about winning on the court, but it is also about playing for the cause and community. This year playing for a child in the community was very special because it felt close to home. That game was more than a normal league game; it was a perfect way to support with a blowout win!”