Gates scores 1,000th point as Lady Falcons roll
BROWNSVILLE 鈥� Brownsville鈥檚 Skyler Gates felt a bit uneasy going into Friday鈥檚 home game against Jefferson-Morgan.
The 6-foot-4 junior center needed 28 points to reach 1,000 for her career and she knew plenty of people were on hand to witness the possible milestone.
鈥淚 was kind of nervous,鈥� Gates said. 鈥淓verybody was coming to the game. People were driving like three hours to get here. So I was definitely hoping I could do it for everyone.鈥�
That she did, scoring 29 points in Brownsville鈥檚 58-18 non-section girls basketball victory over the Lady Rockets.
Gates tallied eight points in the first quarter, 10 more in the second and accounted for nine of her team鈥檚 first 11 points of the third when she was fouled with 4:57 on the clock.
Gates calmly stepped to the line and swished the first free throw for her 1,000th point. After being congratulated by teammates and head coach Patty Columbia, she made the second free throw as well, capping her scoring for the game at 29 points and upping her career total to 1,001.
鈥淚 kind of wanted to do it with a 3 or a dunk but a free throw was alright,鈥� Gates said jokingly.
鈥淲hen the ball went in it was just like so many emotions were happening at once.鈥�
Ava Clark added 16 points for Brownsville (12-8) and Zhariah Reed chipped in with eight points. Gates also had 10 rebounds, three blocked shots and a steal, Lydia Geary grabbed eight rebounds and Ciara Horabik hit a 3-pointer.
鈥淚t feels amazing, especially to be able to do it my junior year,鈥� Gates said of reaching 1,000 points. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so awesome. I鈥檓 so happy, so excited. I needed 28 but I was confident I could get it because my teammates, we love each other, and I knew they鈥檇 be looking for me tonight.鈥�
That was the plan, according to Columbia.
鈥淚 was very proud of the girls because they took a very unselfish approach,鈥� Columbia said. 鈥淲e talked in the locker room before the game and said let鈥檚 feed Skyler as much as we can and get the win, and that鈥檚 what they did from the very beginning.鈥�
The Lady Falcons scored the first nine points of the game with six from Gates and three from Clark and were never threatened after that. They led 18-7 after the first quarter with Ava Wood accounting for all of the Lady Rockets鈥� points in the frame, including a 3-pointer.
Brownsville blanked J-M in the second quarter while pouring in 18 for a commanding 36-7 halftime lead. The hosts outscored the Lady Rockets 15-4 in the third quarter to go up 51-11 and both teams put up seven points in the fourth.
Wood鈥檚 seven points led Jefferson-Morgan. Brelyn Wood added five points with a 3-pointer and Krissa Snyder had four points.
Columbia lauded Gates.
鈥淲hat鈥檚 amazing to me is this is a girl going to UVA (University of Virginia) on a volleyball scholarship,鈥� Columbia said. 鈥淪kyler is a great girl. She has a gentle spirit. Her teammates love her and so do her coaches. I was very happy for her tonight. She鈥檚 a good team player.
鈥淭his is a proud moment for me and I know it is for (assistant coaches) Christina (Clark) and CJ (Gaddis) as well. It was a fun night.鈥�
Columbia has churned out multiple 1,000-point scorers in her 10 years at Brownsville.
鈥淭his is my fourth one and the first not named Seto,鈥� Columbia said with a laugh, referring to the trio of sisters, Maris Seto, Allie Seto and Emma Seto, who each also reached the milestone under Columbia. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e all very special.鈥�
The Lady Falcons now turn their attention to their quest for a playoff spot for the second year in a row.
Brownsville is 4-6 in Section 3-3A and tied with Washington for fourth place. The Lady Falcons have section games remaining at last-place Charleroi on Monday and second-place Keystone Oaks on Tuesday. The Lady Prexies have section games at third-place McGuffey on Monday and at home against Keystone Oaks on Thursday.
鈥淚 would love to get to the playoffs again and win a game this year also,鈥� Gates said.
鈥淲e鈥檙e pretty darn close,鈥� Columbia said. 鈥淭his is a good group of girls. I feel as if we underperformed a little bit in the beginning of the season but we鈥檙e starting to put it all together now.鈥�