Allie Clement knew she was just three points shy of scoring 1,000 career points.

But she played like she always has, focused on pushing the pace and getting all of her talented McAuley girls’ basketball teammates involved.

Additional Photos

Allie Clement hadn’t really wanted to talk about it because it was a personal, not a team goal. But Monday night she reached her goal, the landmark 1,000 career points, and her McAuley teammates led the celebration during the first quarter of a 74-29 victory against Windham. Photos by Derek Davis/Staff Photographer

Victoria Lux of McAuley powers her way to the basket between Windham defenders Lonnie Staten, left, and Sadie Nelson on Monday.

Clement scored her 1,000th and 1,001st point with 15 seconds left in the first quarter. By that time McAuley was well on its way to its 54th consecutive win in Maine regular-season and playoff action, a 74-29 decision against a Windham team that had won five straight.

“It’s a pretty cool accomplishment. It’s always been one of my goals for a long time but I’ve always put my team first and know that championships and winning mean more and are more important to me. But in the back of my mind it was one of my goals. Not many people from McAuley have done it,” Clement said.

McAuley is 6-0.

Clement’s milestone point came when a pull-up from the left elbow in transition took a soft bounce off the back iron and rolled in, giving McAuley a 22-8 lead.

While a complete list of 1,000-point scorers at McAuley could not be verified, Clement joined Sarah Marshall, Ashley Cimino and Erin Brown in the exclusive club.

“It was pretty cool to do it here at McAuley in front of all the people who have supported me,” Clement said.

What has made Clement a standout as a four-year starter – and earned her a basketball scholarship to Marist College – has been her all-around game. That was on display as McAuley rolled to a 10-0 lead.

Clement had dished two assists and kept the ball moving as the Lions’ other four starters were already in the book as McAuley sprinted to the double-digit lead.

“We were joking that she was trying to get 1,000 assists before she scored 1,000 points,” senior Olivia Smith said.

Clement swished a pull-up left elbow jumper with 3:43 left in the quarter to pull within a point of the mark, then missed her next three shots. While the points weren’t coming, Clement contributed three rebounds, a pair of steals and another pinpoint assist to Victoria Lux in transition.

When Clement’s 1,000-point shot did go in, the McAuley reserves, who had been jumping up with each shot, rushed onto the court and hoisted Clement onto their shoulders.

“I actually thought I’d missed that shot that went in and I was like, ‘wow, I guess I’m not going to make a shot tonight.’ Then I realized it went in and the next thing I know Victoria Lux has me in the air and I can’t get down,” Clement said.

Then it was back to business for McAuley, which ran off a 14-2 spree and led 38-13 at the half, then stretched the lead to 51-21 midway through the third quarter.

Clement finished with 20 points, making 6 of 7 shots (2 of 3 from behind the arc) over the final three quarters to lead McAuley scorers.

“She’s getting to another level,” McAuley Coach Bill Goodman said of Clement. “I feel a lot of the great players, they’re able to do that.”

Goodman added he felt his team played its best game this season, with good ball movement on offense and a high level of defensive pressure no matter who was on the floor. McAuley used 15 players.

Lux scored 15 points. Jackie Welch contributed an efficient 12.

In her first game back after suffering an offseason knee injury, Smith scored six points.

Sadie Nelson of Windham (5-2)showed off a variety of moves down low and finished with 19 points.

Steve Craig can be reached at 791-6413 or at:

scraig@pressherald.com

Twitter: SteveCCraig

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