The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
Oneida senior reaches 1,000 points
MARCELLUS, N.Y. » “Coach, I want to score 1,000 points.”
Those are the words of then middle schooler Lauren Skibitski to Oneida coach Katie Nestler during an open gym sesssion several years ago.
“‘That means you’re going to be pretty darn good,’ I said and walked away,” Nestler recalled with a grin on Tuesday in Marcellus. Mission accomplished. Skibitski, needing just seven points to crack the 1,000 point barrier prior to tipoff, netted 14 points in a 64- 47 Oneida win to become the seventh player in program history to achieve such a feat.
Sitting at 999 career points entering the second half of play against Marcellus, Skib- itski jetted down the court following an empty Mustang possession and collected a pass from Sydney Lusher in stride for a wide open layup and points 1,000 and 1,001 at the 7:35 mark.
“Right now is better than ever, so might as well seize the wide open shot,” said Skibitski on what was going through her head on the attempt.
“She is one of the hardest workers I have ever coached. This was her night, and she earned it. I am just really proud of her for accomplishing this feat. She is joined by six other great Oneida basketball players; she’s the seventh so it is awesome to see,” added Nestler, who also cracked the 1,000 point barrier in her playing career.
“Lauren has established her game to not just be a set up
shooter. She has worked really hard on her drives and her offensive rebounds, and really, in the second half, she got inside and got a lot of offensive rebounds and put them back in. So, her game since a ninth grader at the varsity level has grown tremendously from being just a shooter to now a complete player.”
What was the toughest part about reaching 1,000?
“The most challenging part would probably be getting out of my own head because going into this, I have been on track for the last few years knowing I could accomplish this feat,” said Skibitski , crediting her coaches and father for helping her achieve her goal. “Definitely my coaches. My dad for taking me in on the weekends all the time, just getting me to where I am right now with my shot. Definitely my father and these two coaches right here [Nestler and assistant coach Michelle Kin- ville].”
Skibitski’s big night came on another impressive outing for Nestler’s Oneida side.
Trailing Marcellus 21-17 after one, Oneida put it together on both sides of the floor in the second, outscoring the hosts 25-11 to take the lead and control of the contest.
Ella Rainbow tallied a career-high 26 points to lead all scorers. In addition to her 14 points, Skibitski added seven boards and three blocks. Lusher finished with 17 points, seven boards, and f ive assists while running things from the point.
Sarah Fallon led the way for Marcellus with 14 points in the defeat.
After weathering Marcellus’ first- quarter outburst, Oneida got things cooking in the second, using defense and ball movement to create a bevy of chances on the offensive end. Following consecutive threes from Kaylin Curro and Rainbow, Oneida took the lead when Lusher led Rainbow with a perfectly placed threequarter- court pass for a fast break score and Oneida’s first lead of the game, 25-23, and prompt a Marcellus timeout. Oneida began to distance itself in the final four minutes of the second, closing the half on a 12-5 run. Lusher used a Grace Coulter screen to bury a mid-range jumper out of the stoppage. After a Kade DeMarle make on a baseline jump shot, Oneida answered with a Rainbow 3-pointer off a Kaylin Curro assist. Marcellus went back to DeMarle for its next hoop to pull within three at 30-27, but Skibitski converted an old fashioned 3-point play on the visitors’ next trip down teh court to push the lead to six. Two Marcellus free throws cut Oneida’s lead to 33-29 before Nestler’s side made its move. Rainbow dropped in a runner to start the run, and Lusher followed with an and-1 play to grow the lead to nine at 38-29 before the teams traded a couple of scoring possessions to close out the first half with Oneida up 42-32. Skibitski’s mem- orable layup kicked things off in the third, but Marcellus remained within in striking distance throughout the third, matching Oneida in scoring for the rest of the quarter. Protecting a 12 point lead to begin the fourth, Oneida less than two minutes to put the contest out of reach. Skibitski added two more off of an offensive rebound. Then, Lusher found Rainbow open on the break before Skibitski cashed in another 3-point play to grow the lead to 59- 40 at the 6:27 mark to give Oneida all the cushion it needed on the way to the 64- 47 win. Oneida returns to action on Thursday with a road TVL tilt against Utica Notre Dame. OSHL Liberty National leading Marcellus falls to 8-3 and will look to bounce back against Hannibal on Thursday.