Homer girls basketball senior Catherine Apker wasn’t pressured into getting her 1,000th-career point as soon as possible.
Once she got it on Thursday against Hannibal, the humble yet confident Apker felt a sense of relief.
Apker officially got over the 1,000-point mark on a layup with 46.4 seconds left in the third quarter. It’s the first time in school history a Homer girls or boys basketball player has reached the milestone.
“It was incredible. It’s been a long season of working at it,” she said. “I loved that I was able to do it in front of such a great group of girls that I’m proud to call my teammates.”
Apker finished with 22 points in the Trojans’ 65-52 loss to the Warriors, putting her current career total at 1,004.
“It’s neat to be part of history. Cat is truly deserving of this. It’s an incredible achievement,” Homer coach Bradley Sovocool said. “It’s nice to get it out of the way and continue to play basketball. She would’ve cared more about winning a basketball game than reaching a personal milestone, but it’s hard earned. I’m incredibly proud.”
The achievement is also Apker’s second milestone of the 2022-23 sports season. During the girls soccer season, she recorded her 750th-career save as Homer’s goaltender.
>> Homer’s Catherine Apker records 750th career save
Apker thanked her family, coaches and team for the “huge amount of support” she has received in her career.
Sovocool praised Apker for her commitment to putting in the extra time and work for herself and her teammates.
“It shows why she’s able to get where she is,” Sovocool said. “I’d always want her to lead this program.”
In Thursday’s contest, Samantha Emmons had a game-high 28 points for the Warriors. Tenly Baker dropped in 23 points.
Also for Homer, Madison Singleton scored 12 points.
The Trojans (6-9) host Section IV’s Oneonta at 12:30 p.m. Saturday. Hannibal (10-5) takes on Chittenango, also at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
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