Boys JV Basketball Team Cruises to the Elite Eight
March 12, 2022
The Boys JV Basketball team defeated Harry S. Truman High School 69-44 in a decisive win Friday night. Led by 25 points and 16 rebounds from starting forward Baseer Mirza (‘24), the Engineers showed off their offensive prowess throughout the game. The team’s strong chemistry was also on full display, as 20 of the Engineers’ 25 field goals came off an assist.
“They played together. When we play unselfish basketball, we are very good… I love the fact that they came out collectively and shared the basketball and took care of business at home,” Coach Anderson said following the game.
Mirza added that “All of the hard work that we put in practicing every day” in addition to “unselfish team basketball and tenacious defense” pushed the team towards victory. He continued that personally, he “did a good job being patient and taking a second to calm down,” which put him into a position to score the ball efficiently.
Following a neck-and-neck first quarter, the Engineers pulled away with a double-digit lead to close out the first half, after which Truman failed to make a comeback attempt. The halftime show featured a vibrant performance from Tech Unique, Brooklyn Tech’s Urban Dance team.
The Engineers’ shooting was also a key to their success, as they drained a total of nine three-pointers on the night. Three of those threes, including a four-point play to cap off the game, came from guard Miles Wurmfeld (‘25), who received “MVP” chants from the Tech crowd. Troy Hornbeck (‘25) and Joshua Lou (‘25) added on with two threes each.
When asked where he thought the team excelled, Wurmfeld noted their “threes” and “shooting,” but added he was disappointed that he did not perform well from the free-throw line.
The Tech faithful showed out in full force to support the JV team, filling up the Conrad B. McRae Memorial Gymnasium. After playing the regular season with only parents allowed in attendance for games due to PSAL Covid protocols, the Engineers were thrilled to have their student section back for the playoffs. From tip-off to the final buzzer, the raucous crowd energized the players on the court and helped them secure the victory.
“In one word, the crowd was plain amazing,” Mirza said, “The experience was fanatical. It really boosted our confidence to have the crowd cheering and screaming after every made basket or block.”
Principal Newman, who was in attendance for the game, said: “I think it’s great for school spirit. I think it’s great to hear people cheer.”
The team will look to carry their momentum from Friday night’s win over to Tuesday’s Elite Eight matchup against Benjamin N. Cardozo High School, who went undefeated in 14 league games this season. In their game against Cardozo early this season, Tech lost 66-35. Still, the Engineers are ready for the challenge.
“Against Cardozo, I think an important component to winning is rebounding. The whole team needs to contribute to make sure the ball is in our possession as much as possible. And we also need to start the game with ferocity so that energy can carry throughout the rest of the game,” Mirza stated.
After a successful regular season in which the Engineers went 10-0 in their Brooklyn League II games, the team has had their eyes set on winning the city championship. Still, they understand they need to focus on each game at a time.
Coach Anderson said: “From the beginning of the season, you always want to play for something, and we wanted to play for a championship. But in the playoffs, we say ‘win and move on.’ The next round is the Elite 8, and we are looking forward to that… and to playing for the championship.”
