Uniondale's Shaq Mosley, (21, right), drives to the basket around...

Uniondale's Shaq Mosley, (21, right), drives to the basket around Baldwin's Dominique Aberdeen (32, left), during their game at Uniondale HS. (Dec. 18, 2009) Credit: Richard Slattery

In Sunday's paper was the story of Shaquille Mosley and the Uniondale basketball team

Here are some quotes from the players and coach Tom Diana that didn't make the paper...

On the Knights losing two early conference games (52-45 to Freeport and 57-54 in overtime to Hempstead)...

Mosley: "We don't panic at all. We sometimes second guess ourselves and put our heads down, though.

"We were playing [those games] according to the crowd. We should of just kept running the plays and playing as a team instead of playing to the crowd."

Roderick Epps: "We thought they were going to be easy wins. When we got on the court, we were a little too cocky, and it showed."

On the reaction in school after the losses...

Epps: "They were saying 'you guys suck!'" It was from different towns, too, from everywhere."

On the team's expectations...

Diana: "I like expectations. Some people concern themselves with that, but I think if everyone expects to win, that's a nice way to start a season.

"Sometimes failure can be the best teacher, because it really makes you take a hard look at yourself."

Mosley: "The favorite this year is really Baldwin, and we like it that way. Nobody's gonna be worrying about us. We're gonna keep working while everyone is boasting about Baldwin.

"The team last year might have been better, but this team works just as hard. And I think hard work beats talent any day."

On being a leader of a young team...

Sean Brown: "At first, it was [hard], I'm not gonna lie. I had to step up as a leader, Rod, Barry [Robinson] did too. We're all leaders on the court. We all have to play our role. But that's good. If you're not gonna bark as a puppy, you're not gonna bark as a dog."

Mosley on starting the year with Lincoln and what it taught him...

"It helped me a lot becuase I know what it takes. I know the talent level and the level I need to play at to get where I want to go. It really helped a lot, and it really helped my game a lot in a positive way. I bring that to my teammates."

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