Facing a deficit against Kenyon College and in need of a spark, junior Maya Howard drove the lane and scored her 1,000th point that sparked a 9-0 DePauw run. The Tigers’ women’s basketball team remains undefeated in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC).
The 1,000-point mark is a goal for many basketball players as they enter their respective careers, but few ever reach that mark. Howard not only achieved the accomplishment, but she did so before finishing her junior season.
She is joined in the 1,000-point club by 16 other former DePauw women’s basketball players, but Howard is racing up the record board at a rapid pace. Savannah Trees ’15 is the all-time leader in career points scored, ending her senior season with 1,480 points scored. Howard still has the NCAC tournament, the NCAA tournament and her entire senior season to try to eclipse that number.
Senior forward Kylie Morris said she will be keeping a close eye on Howard’s statistics next year to see if she will break the record.
“She absolutely has a chance to break it, and that would be an awesome accomplishment,” Morris said. “I can’t wait to see how it goes.”
Howard is proud to score 1,000 points, but she said that it is as much of a team honor as an individual one.
“I have to give praise to my teammates who have pushed me to get better,” Howard said. “I also have to give praise to Coach Huffman who has been a huge influence on my career.”
Howard has seen her game evolve since she arrived on campus, but she said her leadership skills have changed the most.
“I have learned a lot about leadership from some of the upperclassmen when I was younger,” Howard said. “Being a point guard, I have to be willing to lead and I’ve seen that part of my game develop over the years.”
Morris thinks Howard has stepped up as one of the best leaders on the team as well, despite not being a senior.
“It doesn’t matter if she is a little younger than some of us; we all look up to her,” Morris said.
The Tigers head into the NCAC tournament as the #1 seed and ranked seventh in the nation with a real opportunity to make a run in the NCAA tournament. Howard said she is more focused on making this happen than any individual honors.
“We’ve really figured out what our team strengths are and that’s helped us succeed,” Howard said. “If we can continue to do that, we keep this success rolling."