On January 27, 2023, SHS senior Grace McNamara accomplished something most high school basketball players can only dream of: She became the 10th member of the 1,000-point club, the 5th female in the school’s history to achieve this accomplishment. Now studying business and playing basketball at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York, McNamara recently reflected on her time as an SHS Sailor, scoring 1,110 points throughout her four years of varsity basketball: “Achieving the 1,000-point milestone was always a dream of mine as a kid. I’ve always looked up to Kelly Martin, so being able to be that person for other kids is really exciting.”
Growing up playing many different sports, McNamara was always drawn to basketball. As an upperclassman, she decided to focus solely on basketball. In addition to playing for the SHS varsity team, McNamara was a member of the Bay State Jaguars, a club team. Traveling all over the United States with the Jaguars, McNamara’s team won multiple championships both on state and national levels.
Among many other accomplishments throughout her basketball career, scoring 1,000 points was McNamara’s most significant athletic achievement at SHS. On Friday, January 27, 2023, in a game against Pembroke High School, McNamara scored her 1,000th point on a three-point shot from the top of the key in the second quarter.
Being a natural-born leader, McNamara’s dedicated work ethic is clearly shown in her accomplishments. Noting that her passion for the game comes from her teammates and her overall love for the sport, McNamara said, “What makes up a great team is those players that work before and after practice, spend those countless hours, those that are really passionate.”
McNamara has dreamed of having her name on a banner and embedded in SHS history; however, it has yet to happen. “All those names are up there, and you look up to those names…I hope my name gets put up there so I can inspire other Scituate kids and push them to shoot for their goals, show them that anything is possible when they put the work in,” she commented.
Unfortunately, there have been delays in the banner process. SHS athletic trainer and assistant athletic director Chris Alves explained the reason for the delays: “We are currently waiting on some numbers because there are a few league champion banners we have to update as well.” Although he could not provide a specific date when students could expect to see updated banners in the gym, Alves said, “We usually update all of the banners in the spring. We try to do them all at once.”
Keep your eyes open when walking through the SHS gymnasium. In the near future, students will see the 10th member of the 1,000-point club permanently represented in SHS basketball history.