By Kara Kupferberg
On Thursday, Feb. 16, South’s boys varsity basketball team played the Hempstead Tigers in its first playoff game of the season. The Rebels won the game by a score of 52-48, moving ahead in the playoffs.
The Rebels began the game with a strong lead and stayed ahead of the Tigers for almost the entire game. At half time the Rebels led 26-20. They briefly fell behind 48-45  during the fourth quarter but quickly regained the lead. The Rebels ended the game by scoring five more points, defeating the Hempstead Tigers.
Following the win, coach Stephen Liebertz said, “the team was very proud and motivated to move on to the next game.”
Some of the top scorers included seniors Josh Garfinkel and Jae Kwang Lee, and junior Mitchell Finkel, who scored 15, 10, and 8 points, respectively.
Many students, parents, and faculty came out to support the team. The game was a “white out,” meaning all the South fans came dressed in all white, and some students even used white face paint. Fans also had signs and posters of the players’ faces to cheer on the team. They even had cutouts of Coach Liebertz’s face.
The fans stood up and cheered for the team for almost the entire game. Seniors especially led cheers, chanting “I believe that we will win” and “This is our house.”
Junior Matt Zeiger, who came to the game dressed in all white complete with matching headband, declared, “I am bringing spirit back to Great Neck South!”
Editors’ Note: On Tuesday Feb. 21, the Rebels lost to the Baldwin Bruins by a score of 80-51, ending the team’s playoff run.