Girls basketball: Providence’s Annalise Pietrzyk scores her 1,000th career point in win over Minooka

NEW LENOX – Entering Wednesday night’s WJOL Tournament game, Providence Catholic senior Annalise Pietrzyk needed 26 points to reach 1,000 for her career.

She got there, scoring on a baseline drive with 3:27 to play to score her 1,000th and 1,001st career points. Her teammates swarmed her on the court and timeout was called to honor the achievement in front of the home crowd before she took a seat for the rest of the game with the Celtics comfortably ahead of Minooka en route to a 50-11 victory.

Pietrzyk is the 12th player in the 50-year history of Providence girls basketball to reach the 1,000-point plateau, joining Erin Hannemann, Ashley Raymer, Lauren Knight, Ryann Ogarek, Alyssa Jurges, Cassidy Glenn, Katie Hannemann, Michelle Karr, Anna Sears, Emily Smolich and Jeannette Sukley.

“I knew how many points I needed,” Pietrzyk said. “It was nice to do it on my home court in front of my friends and family. It is good to see all the hard work I have put in pay off. Now this is out of the way and I can just go out and play ball the rest of the year.”

In the early going, it did not appear that either team would reach 26 points, let alone one player. Neither team scored until Providence’s Gabi Bednar (12 points) got a steal and a layup with 3:22 left in the first quarter. Minooka (0-2) tied it with 2:30 to go on a basket by Bree Cook. Pietrzyk then converted a three-point play with 1:13 to play before teammate Sydney Spencer drove to the basket for a bucket and Pietrzyk ended the quarter by hitting a pair of free throws, putting Providence (1-1) ahead 9-2 at the end of the first.

The shooting was just as cold in the second quarter, as Providence did not make a shot from the field and Minooka made one, by Madelyn Kiper. Providence, however, did go 7 of 8 from the free throw line and took a 16-4 lead into halftime.

“It was a pretty tough night tonight,” Minooka coach Jeff Easthon said. “We certainly didn’t expect to play like that.

“We played well defensively in the first half. I told the girls at halftime that holding a team to 16 points in a varsity half is good work. We just lacked any movement or consistency on offense. It’s the first time a lot of these girls are playing together, so it will take some time for everyone to get used to each other. It’s early in the season and we are not in our groove yet. Once we get some confidence, we will be all right.”

Bednar hit a 3-pointer for Providence in the first minute of the second half, and the Celtics seemed to loosen up. Pietrzyk followed with a pair of free throws for a 21-4 lead and from that points, the point watch was on.

Pietrzyk scored again at the 5:00 mark to give her 11 points. A 3-pointer with 2:13 left and a basket shortly after moved her to 16 as the Celtics owned a 30-8 lead at the end of three.

She hit 17 points by making 1 of 2 free throws early in the fourth, then drained a 3-pointer with 5:52 left to put the total at 20. She scored on a putback basket for her 22nd point, then hit a long 3-pointer to get herself to 25 for the game and 999 for her career. On the next trip down the floor, she drove the baseline and scored, setting off the celebration.

“That first half was a little rough,” said Pietrzyk, who will play college ball at Hillsdale in Michigan. “But it’s to be expected early in the season. In the second half, we just executed better. I was trying not to think about the 1,000 points.”

Providence coach Eileen Copenhaver said she and Pietrzyk had a long talk before the season.

“Annalise will keep moving up the scoring chart,” Copenhaver said. “We knew she would get the 1,000 points, so now it’s about going out and having the best year she can.

“It was hard in that first half. It’s still early in the season, and we have three new starters that are getting used to each other. Our defense wasn’t real good the other night [a 61-58 loss to Lincoln-Way West], but we showed a lot of improvement tonight, which was awesome.

“When Gabi hit that 3-pointer to start the second half, and our girls saw the ball go through the net, I think it relaxed them and they played much better.”