Feinstein fuels Mt. Sinai win Scores 26, gets plenty of support from Pennzello (23)

Drew Feinstein is grateful to be back on the winning end of games.

Mt. Sinai had dropped two straight games by single digits to offset its seven-game winning streak, but the 6-3 senior helped get the Mustangs back on track in an 82-51 Suffolk IV win over visiting Westhampton on Thursday.

“This is a big win to boost our confidence,” said Feinstein, who had 26 points. “We’ve been down a little bit, but we should be good for the rest of the season.”

Feinstein had two three-pointers and a fast-break slam for Mt. Sinai (4-1 Suffolk IV). The fifth-year varsity player is averaging 28.2 points per game, third highest across all public and private Long Island boys basketball programs.

He’s typically an opponent’s focal point in defensive schemes, but that doesn’t change his approach.

“Going into the game, I know they’re going to be up on me the whole game,” Feinstein said. “Get my teammates involved first. I always know I’m going to get my buckets.”

Senior Derrek Shechter often is the second-leading scorer, averaging 17.2 points per game, 24th highest in Suffolk. He’s sidelined because of an injury, so sophomore Dominic Pennzello stepped up to the plate.

Pennzello wasted no time establishing his presence on his home court. In just over one minute of play, he nailed two three-pointers, giving Mt. Sinai an 8-2 lead. He tallied 19 first-half points and finished with 23, including five three-pointers.

“It’s great. I feel like the rim is so wide,” Pennzello said. “Whenever I let it go, I can run back on defense and I know it’s going in.”

He said he feels no pressure, even with the added responsibility when Shechter isn’t playing. The 6-2 Pennzello said his role is to box out and grab rebounds.

“We haven’t had our full squad since Dec. 8, when we played Newfield here,” Mt. Sinai coach Ryan McNeely said. “ . . . Since then, we’ve been missing one, two, sometimes three guys from our lineup. It lets the other guys fill in the spots and step up. We have a lot of good players.”

Feinstein is confident in his team heading into the final stretch of his high school basketball career. He’s pushing for the “really great achievement” of 2,000 total points.