By PAUL GOTHAM
HILTON, N.Y. — Ella Clark jumped into a passing lane and batted down a ball with her left hand.
After using one dribble to gather her feet, the Hilton senior raced into the open court. Four dribbles later, she left the floor and finished a shot off the backboard.
Like so many times in the past, the 6-foot guard/forward converted a textbook layup.
This shot, though, was no ordinary basket.
With that steal and conversion at the 2:21 mark of the third quarter, Clark reached the career 1,000-point mark.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment my entire life,” she said. “This whole year, we’ve stayed together as a team, but it’s been in the back of my mind. When I scored, it was such a sense of relief.”
Clark came into the night’s action needing 14 points to reach the milestone. She finished with 17 in the Cadets 62-37 victory over Fairport in Monroe County Division I action.
“It was like my brain was just filled with ‘I gotta make it. I gotta make it.’ After you make it, it’s Wow! It’s not like you’re finished yet, but I finally got here.”
Ella Clark steps in a passing lane for a steal and conversion at the other end. With that the @LadyCadetsHoops senior joins the 1,000-point club. @SecVGBasketball pic.twitter.com/hh2MjaFhE8
— Paul Gotham (@PickinSplinters) January 20, 2024
Clark joined teammate Mallory Heise who reached the 1,000-point club earlier in the season.
“Oh my gosh, it’s great,” Heise said. “We’ve been together since the start, seventh and eighth grade. Now to see all the work pay off, it’s great.”
Heise set up Clark earlier in the third quarter when she threaded a diagonal feed in transition. Clark grabbed the pass and in one motion finished at the rim for her 997th and 998th career points.
“We’ve always had assists to each other,” Heise said. “To be on the other end of each other’s passes is special. She’s such a good athlete that if I can put it within her reach, she can go get it. She makes me look good.”
Clark became the fourth member of the Hilton girls’ program to reach the career milestone.
“She’s a gamer,” said Hilton head coach Dave Heise. “Everybody knows what she’s capable of in the open floor. She can get to the basket in a heartbeat.”
Early on Friday night, it looked like she would make quick of the goal as Clark scored eight points in the first quarter and then converted a pair of free throws on the first possession of the second.
By halftime, though, her point total hadn’t increased.
“At first, I thought I was on a roll. Mal kept telling me to ‘stay loose, stay calm.’ I kept saying that in my mind. The calmer I stay, the quicker I’m going to get it.
“Second quarter came. I’m four points away and then I started to get nervous.”
The game’s outcome was never in question. Hilton (9-3) led 20-5 after one quarter of play. When Clark sank her 1,000th, the Cadets were cruising at 45-24.
After falling to Canandaigua earlier in the week, being able to enjoy a win along with a personal accomplishment capped the evening.
“I can celebrate with my team now with the win and my thousand points. It was an all-around good night.”
Clark finished with five steals, four rebounds and three assists. Mallory Heise had 18 points, seven rebounds, four steals and three assists. Leah Thompson accounted for 10 points and six rebounds.
Lola Pucci and Jada Crocker led Fairport (3-9) with 10 points apiece.
Cameron Graupman tops the Hilton girls’ scoring list with 1.557 points.
Clark’s step-sister, Marissa, finished with 997 points during her career with the Cadets.
FAIRPORT
Livea Amadori 0 0-2 0, Meghan Arserio 2 0-2 4, Ava Bagnato 0 0-0 0, Jada Crocker 4 2-4 10, Tamara Dergham 0 0-0 0, Autumn Fitch 1 0-0 2, Amiya Johnson 1 0-0 3, Delaney McIntyre 2 0-0 4, Courtney Merlo 1 0-0 2, Kate Patterson 0 0-0 0, Lola Pucci 3 3-4 10, Samara Rizzo 0 2-2 2, Taylor Vasey 0 0-0 0 TOTALS 14 7-14 37
HILTON
Elena Graziano 1 0-0 3, Paige Siciliano 1 0-0 3, Ava Heise 1 0-0 3, Tea Cosman 2 0-0 5, Brooke Bell 0 1-2 1, Mallory Heise 7 0-0 18, Sydney Lenhard 0 0-0 0, Ella Simonelli 1 0-0 2, Leah Thompson 4 0-0 10, Megan Marean 0 0-0 0, Ella Clark 7 2-2 17, Maddie Murphy 0 0-0 0 TOTALS 23 3-4 62
FAIRPORT — 5 15 10 7 — 37
HILTON — 20 15 12 15 — 62
3-point goals — Fairport 2 (Johnson 1, Pucci 1); Hilton 11 (Graziano 1, Siciliano 1, A. Heise 1, M. Heise 4, Thompson 2, Clark 1)
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