MAHOPAC

It was senior night at Mahopac High on Tuesday.

Mairead Hynes responded with a unforgettable 34-point game.

The trouble was that, ultimately, it was a game Mahopac would like to forget.

Somers, a team with a schizophrenic offense, was on early Tuesday and then on again late, when it mattered most, prevailing 53-47.

Senior Caite Opfer and sophomore Gabby Rosenzweig both hit for 15 points, with Rosenzweig’s contribution including six key fourth-quarter foul shots.

But nothing was bigger in the game than Opfer’s offensive rebound with Somers up 51-47 with 22.5 seconds left.

“That was the play of the game,” said Somers coach Kristi Dini, who was hoarse after both urging on her now 12-4 squad and chewing out the whistle-happy officials, who began the game calling five fouls in fewer than three minutes.

In fact, Opfer sat for long stretches, first due to a knee injury, then with four fouls.

That allowed Hynes, who was already having a strong game, to go to town on the Tuskers down low and she bulled her way to 26 points in the second half.

She was a virtual one-player show at times in the fourth quarter, and after bringing the Indians to within a basket at 40-38 with 4:02 left, she converted two foul shots with 3:28 left to tie the game.

But Somers, which never trailed and led 28-14 at the half, immediately took the lead back on an Opfer basket (her only score of the second half) and then never relinquished it.

“Our rough start really hurt us,” Hynes said. “I was feeling it tonight, getting good position inside.”

“It’s a game of runs,” Rosenzweig said. “We had our run early and they had one, too.”

Of her squad’s ability not to hang on with Opfer sitting, she said Opfer gave us the “fire we needed,” and then, “Someone had to step up and we all did.”

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