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Hassan Diarra. Photo by Jeremy Useted.
Diarra sets PSA record
Back in January, after Hassan Diarra scored his 1,000th career point for Putnam Science Academy’s boys’ prep basketball team, he said he had his sights set on another milestone.
He was in shouting distance at that time of becoming the school’s all-time leading scorer and said it was something he wanted to do.
As he got closer and closer to the mark of 1,415 held by current NBA player Hamidou Diallo, Diarra wanted no knowledge. He just wanted to play and win, and when it happened, he would find out some time around then.
Well, March 7, against Our Savior Lutheran in the championship game of the Great Atlantic Tournament, it happened.
Diarra’s free throw with about seven-and-a-half minutes to go in the second half gave him 24 points in the game, and one more than Diallo. Diarra also made his second free throw and added eight more points to finish with 33 for the game and 1,425 for his career.
“It’s a great accomplishment,” Diarra said. “It’s a real blessing to just be in this position. I have to give thanks to my coaches and teammates over the years who put me in position to score so many points.
“A lot of great players have come through here and we all play with other great players. It’s hard to shine as much as you might want to, but people buy into what we’re trying to do and win national championships and figure out how to be better playing as part of the team. To be the leading scorer, that’s only possible with teammates who are willing to make sacrifices and help out and put me in positions to score.”
One of those teammates is Mary Silvera, Diarra’s closest friend on the team.
“That’s so big,” Silvera said. “Hami was a big factor and the face of the PSA program and now he’s an NBA player. It’s just another step for Hass in his journey and I’m really happy for him.”
Diarra got to the line after rebounding his own miss following a drive to the basket. He tied Diallo, who currently plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder, about a minute earlier by draining a corner 3-pointer off an inbounds play.
Diarra believes that has become the biggest improvement in his game over the years.
“I wasn’t really a good shooter, I couldn’t really shoot all that well,” he said. “But I worked hard at it and my jump shot has become a lot more consistent. I’m not afraid to pull the trigger on it now.”
Coincidentally, Diarra holds the program record for career 3-pointers as well.
PSA coach Tom Espinosa acknowledged that PSA is a fairly new program, but it should in no way diminish Diarra’s accomplishment.
“Even though we haven’t been around for 100 years, we still have a lot of rich history and a lot of really, really good basketball players who have come through” Espinosa said. “For him now to have scored more points than anyone, it’s pretty special. He’s a special player and I hope for him that we can end this season on a positive note and win the national championship.”
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy