NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Syd Alexander did it in style.
Also see: Karns City’s Beighley Hits 1,000 points • Franklin Beats Buzzer and Warren Boys
Needing 13 points to become just the fifth player in Elk County Catholic girls’ basketball history to score 1,000 career points, Alexander delivered a career-high 26 points while helping the Lady Crusaders run Redbank Valley out of the building, 71-40, in a matchup of two of the top teams in District 9.
“It’s amazing, definitely even better than I dreamed of,” Alexander said. “I kind of don’t have words quite yet. We were all pretty shocked it was only five. We thought there were more. It feels pretty special.”
Alexander played like she was destined to reach the goal shooting 10 of 14 from the field and scoring nine first-quarter points before reaching the milestone on a 15-foot jumper from the right corner with 1:51 left in the first half off a pass from Tori Newton, who she had just passed the ball to.
“I knew it was going to be a good game tonight, a good matchup,” Alexander said. “I thought, why should I let that stop me? I was thinking coming into the game I would be ok getting in the second half, but then I was like why settle for that? Do it in the first half. Once I got it in the first half, I was why let up, I may as well keep going.”
Alexander joins a select group of ECC players with 1,000 points including Julie Schlimm (1,489 in a career that ended in 1989), Taylor Newton (1,397 in a career that ended in 2020), Emily Detsch (1,253 in a career that ended in 2010), and Claire Posteraro (1,038 in a career that ended in 2006).
Photo by Chris Rossetti
“I am so, so proud of Syd,” ECC head coach Ken Pistner, who has coached four of the five 1,000-point scorers, said. “I am so proud of the team. We have another girl coming up on it (Lucy Klawuhn has 967 career points after a 12-point effort Friday). And to be honest with you, on most teams, Tori (Newton) would probably have a 1,000.”
To hit the mark in a big game where her team played about as well as it could play wasn’t lost on Alexander either.
“That is not how any of us expected this game to go,” Alexander said. “We know that is a very good defensive and offensive team. They have really good players and athletes. We prepared ourselves for a close game tonight mentally, have mental toughness at the end of the game. We came out strong tonight.”
Strong is an understatement.
After being held to just 31 points in its last big game Monday, a 32-31 loss at Punxsutawney, the Lady Crusaders (17-2) put up 22 first-quarter points and 34 first-half points to take a 34-21 halftime lead.
But they were just getting started.
After Mylee Harmon started the second half with a basket to get Redbank Valley (13-5) within 11, 34-23, ECC scored the next 24 points to put the game in the Mercy Rule. That achievement happened with 3:17 to play in the third quarter on an Emily Mourer basket, and by the time a bucket by Alexander ended the run with 55 seconds left in the quarter, the lead was at 35, 58-23.
“After tonight, we are really excited,” Alexander said. “Now, we know what it feels like to play probably our best basketball game. We know how it should feel going into the rest of the season and the postseason.”
Watch Alexander’s full postgame interview powered by Cole Orthodontic Associates.
Calling it the Lady Crusaders’ best game is probably an understatement.
ECC shot 28 of 41 (68.3%) from the field including a ridiculous 20 of 25 (80%) from inside the arc.
“We executed,” Pistner said. “We executed plays. We executed offensives. We had a different mindset than we did at Punxsy. Punxsy loves to get down the basketball court. Against them, we wanted to slow it up a little bit. I think tonight was a little better matchup for us as far as transition goes. We were hitting on all cylinders tonight. It was one of those nights.”
ECC also executed defensively limiting Redbank Valley’s dynamic duo of Addy Bond and Mylee Harmon, herself a 1,000-point scorer, to 26 combined points with each scoring 13, their third-lowest combined point total of the season behind 10 against Hazelton and 18 against Keystone.
“Sami (Straub) did a fabulous job on Harmon,” Pistner said. “Well, it takes a team to guard her. For the most part, we stopped their penetration. But Sami almost played defense when she was on offense. We had to know where Harmon was going. If she leaks out, she is just so fantastic in transition.
ECC is back in action Wednesday at Brookville, while Redbank Valley, which has dropped three in a row, returns to action Monday at Otto-Eldred.
ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC 1,000-POINT SCORERS THROUGH FEB. 2, 2024
1. Julie Schlimm – 1989 – 1,489
2. Taylor Newton – 2020 – 1,397
3. Emily Detsch – 2010 – 1,253
4. Claire Posteraro – 2006 – 1,038
5. Sydney Alexander – 2024 – 1,013 (Through Feb. 2, 2024)
Watch the celebration for Alexander’s 1,000th point
ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC 71, REDBANK VALLEY 40
Score by Quarters
Elk Co. Cath. 22 12 24 13 – 71
Redbank Vly 9 12 4 15 – 40
ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC – 71
Lucy Klawuhn 4 0-0 12, Sami Straub 4 1-2 10, Syd Alexander 10 3-4 26, Tori Newton 5 3-4 13, Emily Mourer 4 0-0 8, Payton Newton 0 0-0 0, Mya Pistner 1 0-0 2, Gracee Brendel 0 0-0 0. Totals 28 7-10 71.
REDBANK VALLEY – 40
Kira Bonanno 3 4-4 10, Addy Bond 5 2-4 13, Elaina Carrico 1 2-2 4, Izzy Bond 0 0-0 0, Mylee Harmon 4 3-4 13, Hadlee Hagan 0 0-0 0, Addy Hetrick 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 11-14 40.
Three-pointers: ECC 8 (Klawuhn 4, Alexander 3, Straub). Redbank Valley 3 (Harmon 2, Bond)
