HOLYOKE – Hitting the historic 1,000-point milestone is quite a feat for anyone to accomplish.
For two players to do it in the same game? That’s practically unheard of.
Nevertheless, that was the scene on Friday night at the John “Jinx” O’Connor Gymnasium when the Amherst and Holyoke girls basketball teams went toe-to-toe. Amherst’s Delaney MacPhetres entered the game 12 points away from the 1K mark, and Holyoke’s Yamaya Perez was 17 points away. Though Holyoke earned the 68-48 win when the final buzzer sounded, the real story was the milestone moments for both seniors.
MacPhetres was the first to accomplish the feat. The lone Amherst senior was on fire in the first quarter, knocking down nine of the 12 points she needed in the opening period. She sat at 997 points for a while, Holyoke’s defense swarming the Hurricanes in the first few minutes of the second period.
MacPhetres sank two free throws to get her to 999, and her 1,000th point came during a chaotic sequence in the paint with 1 minute, 40 seconds remaining in the second period. She tossed up the ball and hit the basket, earning an and-one for her effort, but before she turned her attention toward the free throw line, there was a timeout on the court so that she could celebrate with her teammates.
“It was definitely a sigh of relief,” MacPhetres said on finally getting her 1,000th point. “I wouldn’t have been able to get here without all my teammates and my coaches. Getting that, it was a big thank you to them honestly. I had some good points, but they had to get me there. So I think that’s really special for everyone today.”
The team presented MacPhetres with a personalized ball to commemorate the occasion, embossed with her name and photo. When she was done celebrating with all of her teammates, Amherst head coach Ralph Loos embraced MacPhetres. Despite the loss, he said he was proud of what the senior was able to accomplish.
“She’s a deserving kid. She works her butt off,” Loos said. “I’ve known her since she was in fifth grade (when) she came to my basketball camp. I’m proud of her and I’m sure those emotions will come more on a night where we don’t get our butts kicked.”
For Holyoke senior Perez, the pressure was on to nab her 1,000th point after MacPhetres sank hers. There was additional urgency because it was senior night at home – if she didn’t hit the milestone on Friday, any family or friends who wanted to see it happen would have to drive all the way to the Berkshires and a game at Wahconah on Tuesday.
“It’s been (high-pressure) like this for the past three games, especially knowing that I was injured for a while,” Perez said. “I was putting a lot of pressure on myself, because I wanted everybody to be here for today.”
While MacPhetres shone in the first period, Perez took awhile to get warmed up. Teammate Bianca Ortiz stole the show in the first half, knocking down a jaw-dropping 17 points over the first two quarters. After getting a single point in the first period, Perez picked up five points in the second, going into halftime needing 11 points for 1,000.
During the third quarter, she knocked down a basket, sank a free throw, and then put up two triples to bring her to 998 points. With the home crowd buzzing, she drew a foul and went to the free throw line with 35 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
She sank the first one to uproarious applause, which was quickly hushed as she lined up her second shot. She hit that one, too, and the gym exploded; her teammates rushed out onto the court to mob her, while Holyoke head coach Andrea Enright quickly executed a costume change – pulling out shirts that read ‘Ms. 1K’ with a photo of Perez on them. The game was halted as an impromptu photo shoot took place at center court. Perez’s family and friends came out and posed with the senior under giant gold ‘1,000’ balloons.
“I’ve known her most of her life, watching her play AAU, watching her start her high school career. And just really more importantly, watching her grow into just the young adult that she has – she’s come a long way,” said Enright, who also played at Holyoke during her high school days. “It’s a very proud moment for me as well.”
What made the moment especially emotional for Perez was the fact that she was carrying on a family legacy. Her father, Max Perez, was also a 1,000 point scorer for the Holyoke boys basketball team during his high school career, and he was in attendance to watch his daughter hit the same milestone at the gym he grew up playing in.
Max has coached and worked with Yamaya since she was old enough to put a ball in her hands, and he got a little choked up watching her accomplish her goal.
“I get so emotional about that because it’s been a lot of hard work, and a grind. It’s just really hard to put into words – I’m more emotional than her right now,” Max Perez said postgame. “The feeling is just indescribable. I can’t really put it into words.”
Though she hasn’t quite had time to fully comprehend her accomplishment, Perez knows that this is a moment she’ll look back on for years to come.
“I’m not even close to sinking it all in,” Perez said. “But these past couple of days, knowing that me and my dad have been talking about it – it’s gonna be more special like when I see my name on the banner.”
Both teams are postseason-bound, among the top 15 teams in the most recent MIAA Division 2 Power Rankings. Amherst was No. 8 in the most recent release, with Holyoke not far behind in 12th. The two sides could very well see each other again in just a few weeks.