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04/12/2019 12:00 AMAs the years went by, Shane Henderson took on more scoring responsibility, while diversifying his skill set as a member of the Old Saybrook boys’ basketball team. Shane’s offensive proficiency resulted in an excellent career that culminated with him becoming the all-time top scorer in program history.
Shane recently completed his high school basketball career by leading Old Saybrook as a senior captain guard. He also had a great run with the cross country squad and is now in his final season of outdoor track.
This winter, Shane earned Shoreline Conference Player of the Year honors and was also selected to the Division IV All-State Team for the second-straight campaign. He finished his career with a school-record total of 1,603 points scored. Along the way, Shane helped the Rams post a record of 16-7 and secure berths in both postseason tournaments this year.
“It’s a crazy number to think about. It’s a lot of points and baskets. A lot of hard work went into it, but I had a lot of great teammates to play with over the years,” says Shane. “I also had to do a lot more of the scoring when I became a junior. [Head Coach Patrick Quinn] did a great job in setting me up to score, and all my coaches would leave the gym open late to help me practice.”
Shane took an aggressive approach when it came to putting the ball through the hoop. However, he also crafted a few wrinkles in his game that helped him produce a plethora of points.
“I like a fast-paced game, so my favorite way to score is to get a rebound and go. I also like to go to the rim to finish,” says Shane. “The jump shot has been one of the more improved parts of my game this year.”
While his role in Old Saybrook’s offense expanded, Shane developed his touch from the outside. Consequently, Shane always had the option to either pull up for the shot or take it to the basket.
“As a freshman and sophomore, I was a second or third option, so I was getting open looks. I took that for granted, and no one knew who I was then,” says Shane. “Developing the pull-up midrange shot was huge for me. I worked on it to deal with charges, and it opened up the lane for me.”
Old Saybrook featured several fresh faces on its varsity roster this season. As a senior captain, Shane realized that he needed to step up and make sure the Rams stayed unified on the court.
“We had some transfers and some new guys that came up from JV, so I knew it was my job to lead,” Shane says. “After the 1-3 start, I talked to Coach Quinn about what I had to do better. We needed to come together, and then we won 15 more games.”
This past fall, Shane paced his way to first place at both Shoreline Conference Championship and the Class S State Championship for the cross country team. Last spring, he won the 1,600 at Shorelines, ran on a victorious 4x800 relay in states, and then took first place at the 3,000-Meter Steeplechase during the outdoor track season.
Coach Quinn believes that Shane’s athletic background served him well as an iron man on the floor. Shane displayed great endurance, but Quinn notes that he also had a warm heart for his fellow Rams.
“Shane’s athleticism was incredible. As a runner, he transitioned well to basketball in that he could play a full 32 minutes and look like he was ready to play another 32,” says Quinn. “Shane was always the loudest and most positive player in the gym. I would often hear him hyping up our younger players, telling them that they are our future leaders. He brought the team together when they got down or tired and helped foster such a positive chemistry between all levels, while pushing his teammates to get better.”
As he looks back on his basketball career at Old Saybrook, Shane says that the bonds he formed with his teammates mean more to him than all the points he scored. Shane knows that those relationships will have a lasting impact on him going forward.
“Scoring the points were fun, but I couldn’t have asked for a better athletic career,” says Shane. “We didn’t win championships, but I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.”