Savarese Taking Love of Basketball Upstate

Just because Victoria Savarese won’t be playing basketball at High School next year, doesn’t mean the sport won’t continue to be a major part of her life.

“I love basketball so much that I can’t imagine not being on a team and playing it while I can,” Savarese said.

After spending four years on the girls varsity basketball team, Savarese is on her way to SUNY Oneonta where she will study education. She plans on trying out for the Red Dragons of the SUNYAC (D-III), or playing on a club team.

An all-around athlete in high school, Savarese played on four varsity sports - basketball, cross country, winter track and softball.  

“I will miss being able to do so many different sports, being a part of so many teams, and the relationships that I have formed with the coaches and trainer,” she said.

Although her talents extended into so many areas of the Syosset athletic program, her lasting memories lie on the basketball court. As a sophomore, Savarese was part of a county championship team. While the next two years of her career would not yield the same level of success for the Braves, great individual moments still existed for the outgoing senior.

Perhaps the most impressive performance of her senior season came in a against Uniondale. She hit all 7 of her free throws, including four in the final 20 seconds of regulation, sending the game to overtime. In the extra period, Savarese hit the final two baskets. She finished with 17 points in a victory that boosted the Braves back up to the .500 mark in Conference AA-I.

Moments like those are nice memories, but they don’t compare to the lasting bond the senior had with her teammates. Savarese points out team sleepovers, Saturday morning practices, and “TP’ing” the two coaches homes as some of her favorite recollections.

Those “off the court” experiences can be unbelievably important in the building of a team, especially in a sport that requires extreme cohesion. Savarese embraced that part of the basketball experience, no doubt leading to her in-game success.

Doug Schumacher, an assistant for 12 seasons before getting the head coaching job two years ago, transformed her from a young player to an experienced leader.

“'Schu' taught me many things,” Savarese said. “One thing that I remember him telling me as a freshman was to stay poised on the court. Once I focused on staying poised and calm on the court is when I started having success.”

As for next season, Savarese expects success for her former team, but not without an initial learning curve.

“Next season will probably start off a little rough because four of our starters graduated,” she said. “But once the new starting five learn to mesh with each other and get comfortable, I’m sure they’ll do great.”