Athlete of the Week is Liz Dwyer, Mattituck girls basketball player

Liz Dwyer had quite the week.

The Mattituck girls basketball star broke the school’s girls scoring record on Dec. 6 and two days later eclipsed the boys scoring record. In the same game, she became the first basketball player in school history to reach 1,500 points.

Dwyer’s record-setting week earned her Newsday’s Athlete of the Week honors.

“I’ve definitely had a lot of people saying, ‘Congratulations,’ said Dwyer, a senior who first cracked varsity in eighth grade. “So I think I’ve said, ‘Thank you,’ more than I’ve ever said in my life.”

In a win over Pierson/Bridgehampton, Dwyer’s lefty bank shot with five minutes left in the game broke the previous girls record of 1,465 set by Stephanie Pisacano in 2010.

The boys scoring mark fell in a win over Port Jefferson, and her 1,500th point was scored midway through the third quarter. Donald Wilcenski set the boys record of 1,495 in 1977.

She was honored before the Port Jefferson game for breaking the girls record and then honored again during the third quarter with a basketball commemorating her 1,500th point.

“It makes high school seem like it went quick,” Dwyer said of her numerous accomplishments.

Although Dwyer’s name sits prominently in the school’s record books, basketball isn’t even her top sport. She said she’s committed to Southern New Hampshire University to play Division II tennis.

“I started tennis later on in life, so basketball was always my first sport,” she said. “Once I found my love of tennis, I started enjoying both.”

Mattituck coach Steve Van Dood said Dwyer has been a captain since her sophomore year because of the overwhelming leadership qualities she displays on the court and in practice.

“She’s mature beyond her years,” Van Dood said. “She does have a great sense of humor. Very intelligent girl. She’s very insightful.”

Dwyer said she’s not focused on the individual accolades and is instead putting her full effort into lifting the Tuckers to the state tournament. They won a Long Island Class B championship and then won a regional playoff game last season before falling one win short of a trip to the tournament at Hudson Valley Community College.

She’s the type of player capable of taking over a game with her ability to use both hands, and Mattituck could lean on her during the playoffs to reach its goal.

And she said she’s ready for the challenge.