Alex Sorensen breaks South Side scoring record
South Side's Alex Sorensen against Roosevelt on Feb. 6, 2016. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
His mom, Nancy, tied red and blue balloons to the chairs of every South Side player and coach and in the wooden bleachers behind the home team’s bench before the game. Then her son provided something to celebrate on a festive senior day Saturday in Rockville Centre. Something special was definitely in the air.
Alex Sorensen sank a three-pointer from the left wing 2:24 into the game to break the South Side career scoring record. Sorensen, a 6-3 senior guard, entered the game needing seven points to break James Hurt’s record of 1,296 set during the 2001-02 season. The lefthander nailed a three from the right wing in the opening minute, converted a steal into a layup in the second minute and found the range from downtown to give him 1,298.
“I kind of wanted to get it out of the way early so I didn’t have to think too much about it,” said Sorensen, who finished with 32 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and five steals in South Side’s 74-63 boys basketball victory over Roosevelt. Sorensen has 1,322 career points and South Side has three consecutive 14-0 league seasons in Nassau A-II.
Brandon Grayson scored 25 points, including several breakaway layups on outlet passes from Sorensen, and the Cyclones built a 20-point fourth-quarter lead.
Jordan Armstrong hit five three-pointers and scored 25 points for the playoff-bound Rough Riders (7-6).
The afternoon primarily belonged to Sorensen, who raised his scoring average to 23.5, fourth best on Long Island. The game was stopped briefly after his record-breaking shot and Sorensen received a standing ovation from the crowd as well as hearty embraces from his father, Ed, and mom, who both came onto the court for a photo op. “I don’t cry often, but today I cried,” Nancy Sorensen said. “It’s a tremendous achievement.”
Alex Sorensen has been a varsity player since his freshman year and a starter since his sophomore season. “Ever since the ninth grade, Alex has had such great composure,” South Side coach Jerry D’Angelo said. “It’s almost unheard of for a 14-year-old to be so composed. He’s a dream to coach.”
Sorensen made three three-pointers and five other field goals and sank his first 12 foul shots before finishing 13-for-14. He has always been skilled at drawing contact but said he has expanded his game throughout high school. “I’m a much better passer and shooter and I worked on my right hand, too,” he said. “Hopefully I can go out with a nice state championship.”
He surely will go out with a nice scrapbook of high school memories. “When I get older and have kids of my own,” Sorensen said, “it’ll be cool to tell them that I broke the scoring record.”
