Junior Stephanie Cheney broke George Mason High School’s girls basketball all-time scoring record late in the first quarter of the Lady Mustangs’ 53-17 victory over Manassas Park on Friday night.
“I actually didn’t know that was the basket that was going to beat [the record],”Cheney said. “But when I heard the crowd cheering, I assumed [I broke the record] so, you know, I was able to share the moment with my teammates and I was able to share it with the people of Falls Church, which was amazing.”
The previous record of 1,185 career points was held by Kate Jackson, a 2000 Mason graduate. It stood for 12 years before Cheney hit a lay-up at the 7.7 second mark of the first quarter to score her 14th and 15th points of the game and break the record. Cheney, who averaged 18.6 points going into last night’s game, needed 14 points to break the record.
Coach LaBryan Thomas called a timeout after Cheney broke the record to give the crowd and team a chance to celebrate the junior forward’s accomplishment. Cheney was then given a bouquet of flowers and the game ball she broke the record with. She enjoyed a standing ovation from the home crowd, but after the game she thanked her teammates.
“When I went out to the center of the court, I thought it should be more about my team. My teammates were the ones that got me the points, not really me by myself,” she said. “So I have to really give the credit to them because it wasn’t about me.”
Thomas admitted that the team tried to get Cheney the ball often early on so she could break the record in the first quarter.
“We kinda planned it that way, and I’m happy that it worked out,” he said with a smile and a few chuckles. “It was great. Anytime you have a player and they have such a great accomplishment, it is good. And she’s only a junior so sky is the limit for that score.”
Cheney led the Lady Mustangs in scoring with 19 points. Freshman forward Katie Goodwin added six points and senior guard Krista Kelly and freshman guard Ava Roth both scored five points.
The Lady Mustangs (7-2, 10-3) took the lead in the Bull Run District play last Wednesday when they stomped William Monroe High School 55-22. They travel to Madison County High School Tuesday to take on the Mountaineers.
