Krissa Wilbur and her teammates after winning the game and reaching 1,000 points. (Ross Cohen/Cortland Voice).
It was a special night at McGraw last night, as junior Karissa Wilbur became the first McGraw girls basketball player to reach 1,000 career points in McGraw’s 56-17 win over Otselic Valley.
Wilbur came into the contest four points shy from breaking the 1,000 career point mark. She then reached 1,000 points on an assist from fellow junior Alexis Stiles.
“It was definitely nerve wracking,” said Wilbur. “I was shaky getting those first couple of shots up. Once I got it, it felt amazing."
“Everything I've thought up to this point is how much my dad has helped me being my coach now, how much my family has helped me, and all my coaches throughout my career. I am really happy to get to this point,” Wilbur added.
It was a slow start for both teams, with the McGraw Eagles taking a 10-7 lead at the end of the opening quarter.
“We needed to get off to a better start,” said McGraw Head Coach Jason Wilbur. “Once we got past the jitters of 1,000 points (for Karissa), we picked up our game and played much better.”
At the end of the half the Lady Eagles were up 25-9. The tough defense that McGraw played continued in the second half. They held Otselic Valley to two points in the third quarter to extend their lead to 44-11.
Junior guard Emily Fish led the Eagles with 18 points, while Wilbur scored 17.
According to Coach Wilbur, the Eagles will be looking to win their next four games, as they aim to host a possible home game in the first round of Sectionals.
Up next, the Lady Eagles (9-7) will be hosting Stockbridge Valley (4-13) on Thursday, February 6th at 6pm.
Here is a highlight video and a photo gallery of last night's game:
