RallyNorth.net

Amber Smith could reach 2,000 points

Friday, January, 04 By Matt Jenkins
Staff writer

Excuse me while I brush up on my math skills here for a moment.

It doesn't take Will Hunting to come up with an equation that proves Ipswich junior Amber Smith, who just surpassed 1,000 points in the Ipswich Holiday Tournament, could reach 2,000 career points before she's done. So, here goes ...

Smith has 14 regular-season games to play as a junior and 20 more as a senior. If you factor in tournament games, it's likely that Smith will play 16 games this season and 22 next winter. She's currently averaging a shade over 24 points per game this year and if that continues she will finish this season at approximately 1,404 points.

In order to post 600 points in one season (figuring it's 22 games she plays), Smith will have to average just over 27 points a game next year. It's a lofty scoring average, but so far Smith has improved in that department in each of her three seasons.

The variable in this equation is games played. Injuries or sickness could keep Smith off the court, while longer tournament runs | which is quite possible for a team with a player as talented as Smith | would give the junior forward a better crack at reaching such a prestigious milestone.

For the record, only 53 players in Massachusetts history have reached 2,000 points, including 24 girls. Rebecca Lobo, who had a standout college career at the University of Connecticut, is the all-time leader with 2,710 from her days in Southwick.

Six locals are already on the list, including Sean Connolly (Bishop Fenwick, 2,473), Scoonie Penn (Salem, 2,189), Casey Arena (Bishop Fenwick, 2,166), Brianne Stepherson (Masconomet, 2,139), Paul Moran (Swampscott, 2,043), and Peabody-native Thad Broughton (St. Mary's, 2,005).