Blackmore, Sinclair, McClure reach milestone; big FVC game Tuesday

An area rich in girls basketball talent hit the trifecta last weekend.

Three standout players all reached the 1,000-point milestone in less than 24 hours.

After South Elgin's Megan McClure and Bartlett's Lexie Sinclair scored their 1,000th point Friday night, Geneva's Lindsay Blackmore scored 23 points to go over 1,000 on Saturday afternoon in a 63-38 win over Wheaton Warrenville South.

Sinclair, the only junior among the three, got to 1,000 by scoring 20 points in a 58-24 win over West Chicago.

She scored her 1,000th point on a reversal pass she caught in the right corner and then swished a 3-point shot. At the next dead ball the public address announcer highlighted the achievement, and she was presented with a game ball.

Sinclair currently has 1,040 points and is the 11th Bartlett girl to achieve the 1,000-point mark. Lindsay Schrader is the all-time leader with 2,422.

"Lexie scoring her 1,000th point is an amazing achievement," Bartlett coach Joe Eirich said. "What is even more impressive is how willing she is to help her other teammates score. She is the ultimate team player and a great kid to have in the program. I am excited to see how many other major achievements she is going to have in her career."

McClure is another unselfish standout. Needing 3 points to reach 1,000 Friday in a 76-36 win over Larkin and finding herself wide open behind the arc on a play Storm coach Dan Mandernack designed, McClure instead passed for an assist to a wide-open teammate under the basket.

"Fitting," Mandarack said. "She is our all-time 3-point shooter, but also a very good selfless teammate."

A little later, McClure did reach 1,000 on a short jump shot after an offensive rebound. South Elgin briefly stopped the game, her teammates gave her a banner they made, and she took a quick photo with the team and her father Don, a South Elgin assistant coach.

"Again, fitting, we are a very, very small team but hustle and fight for rebounds," Mandarack said. "With Megan, it's one of those things as a coach you already dread senior night on so many levels. Obviously incredible player, but it's the other things Megan brings. I have known her since she was in fifth grade. She is a leader, awesome personality, and just a joy to be around because she is always happy, full of energy, and she brings a smile to everyone's face with her attitude on life."

McClure is the third player in South Elgin history with 1,000 points. Becca Smith, who scored over 2,000 before heading to Loyola, and Mackie Kelleher are the other two. McClure has 1,020 points after scoring 18 points in win over Schaumburg Saturday.

Blackmore needed 22 points going into the Vikings' DuKane Conference opener against defending champ WW South. She got those by the three minute mark in the second quarter, getting her 1,000th point on a free throw. She now has 1,0001.

Vikings coach Sarah Meadows called timeout after the free throw as her teammates celebrated with her. Blackmore's family made a poster and her teammates enjoyed treats after the game.

"We never talk about anyone's 1,000th point," Meadows said. "We let their families know and that is it. We don't tell our other kids because we want everyone to be surprised."

Meadows and Blackmore, who will play next year at Colgate, were still enjoying the moment at school Monday.

"I actually saw her this morning when she came in for PE and I said, 'Oh, Hey Miss 1,000,' and she said, 'Actually Miss 1,001.' It was pretty funny," Meadows said.

"Lindsay is great kid. She is a great basketball player on the court but an even better kid off the court. I am so proud of her and all that she has accomplished. It could not happen to a nicer kid. She has worked her butt off the last four years and she is checking things off her goal sheet. She has had a great career at Geneva and she still has a lot of a season left to do more."

Since Meadows became coach in 2011, Blackmore joins Ashley Santos, Grace Loberg and Margaret Whitley with 1,000 points. Taylor Whitley, who played for Gina Nolan, scored over 2,000 points and is the school's all-time leader.

More to come: It shouldn't be long before more area players reach the 1,000-point milestone.

Streamwood senior Mandy Mien, a four-year stater and already the school's all-time leader in assists, is only 6 points away heading into the Sabres' Upstate Eight game Tuesday at East Aurora.

Mien will become the ninth Sabre to reach 1,000. Renee Kanak's total of 1,621 (1985-89) is the all-time boy or girl leader.

Larkin's Brianna Young and Aaliyah Dixon, Burlington Central's Elana Wells, Batavia's Erin Golden and Huntley's Kamsi Nwogu also are closing in.

Showdown set: It's early in the Fox Valley Conference season, but what happens Tuesday night at Burlington Central will go a long way to deciding the eventual champion.

Dundee-Crown heads to Burlington with a 5-0 record and 2-0 in conference to play the Rockets, also 2-0 in the FVC and 6-1 overall, losing only to Geneva in a game they played without Lewis-bound senior Kathryn Schmidt (ankle).

Dundee-Crown finished second in the FVC last year, losing the final game of the season at Hampshire for the title. The Chargers return five starters and started the year by winning their own Thanksgiving tournament.

The Rockets, ranked ninth in the latest state Class 3A poll, welcomed back Schmidt last week, and she averaged 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.5 steals in a pair of conference wins.

Unfortunately, the Rockets found out they will be without junior guard Avery Andersen the rest of the season. Andersen, who made the all-tournament team in their Thanksgiving tournament, tore her ACL in the championship game loss to Geneva.

Fast start: Kaneland has won six straight games after an opening loss to Wauconda under first-year coach Kelsey Flanagan.

"It's going well," Flanagan said. "I'm having fun. Girls are having fun. We're just trying to focus on doing the little things right. Making those small improvements every day so we get to the point where we're playing our best basketball at the end of the year. But we are playing pretty well for the most part right now."