Whitney Cline raced down the floor ahead of the defense, took
the pass and laid it in for two points as she might have done on
any other night, but this time was different.
This time the gym stopped and all the fans came to their feet to
recognize a remarkable achievement crowning a stellar career in a
singularly team game.
With those two points, Cline gained entry into the 1,000-point
club and is one of only a few Lady Owls to accomplish the feat –
the first in nearly seven years.
But Cline would likely say herself that Bradford’s eventual
55-43 District 9 League win over Clearfield was the more important
headline of the night.
Cline needed just three points coming into the game to reach the
plateau and at the 3:16 mark of the first quarter No. 21 was
presented with congratulatory flowers.
From here the hosts were able to focus on the task at hand and
the Lady Owls got it done.
The teams swapped possession of the lead throughout the first
half and Bradford held a slim 27-26 advantage as the teams headed
to the locker room.
But Shelly Fuhrman started the game with five quick points and
picked up where she left off in the third, draining two trifectas
in the quarter’s first minute.
A three by Nikki Siffrinn and baskets by Kayla Murphey and
Britani VanScoter closed out the quarter scoring with the Lady Owls
up 46-33, having outscored the Lady Bisons 19-7 in the period.
Tricia Copeland made the Clearfield deficit 15 points, 48-33, on
a 15-footer with 7:13 left in the game.
Bradford worked time off the clock the rest of the way and on
one possession Katie White came up with two hustling offensive
rebounds before canning a wide-open 17-footer to add one final
straw to the camel’s back.
White finished the game with eight points in a balanced
offensive effort for BHS. Cline added nine points, seven rebounds
and two blocks, Siffrinn collected five points and eight assists,
Fuhrman led the team with 12 points, Copeland contributed 10 and
Murphey was good for six points and five boards.
“It was great for Whitney to get this (1,000 points) in a win,”
emphasized Doug Lloyd, Bradford coach. “She played a heck of a
game, but we all did. It was a great team win.
“Whitney scores them, but it’s all eight players that really
contribute to that. She’s had Nikki Siffrinn, Meghan Perschke,
Britani VanScoter and Kayla Murphey with her all four years and has
had Shelly Fuhrman, Tricia Copeland and Katie White for another
three. It reflects well on the rest of the team that they’re able
to work that well together.”
Lloyd praised Cline’s career as a four-year starter and
letterwinner for the Lady Owls.
“We want to congratulate Whitney on scoring 1,000 points, it’s
not an easy thing to do,” Lloyd commented.
“She is a coach’s player – she’s a dream to coach. She never
complains and she works hard every day. She does whatever you ask
of her and she has a great attitude. She never gets her head down
and never gets discouraged. She really cares. She’s an ideal player
and she’s been a joy to coach.”
Cline conceded that she was glad to have the accomplishment out
of the way as she and her teammates focus on the home stretch of
the regular season.
“It is a relief,” Cline said of achieving the elite level. “Now
we want to beat Punxsy again and win District 9.”
At 13-6 overall and 9-2 in league play, the Lady Owls have a
good chance of facing the Lady Chucks once again. The two teams
have split the home-and-home season series and the next meeting
would be for league marbles.
The win gave the Lady Owls a tighter grip on second place in D-9
and gave Whitney Cline a moment – a night -she will never
forget.
Editor’s note: Cline is believed to be the ninth Lady Owl to
eclipse the mark. Era Sports writer Sara Eddy Okerlund was the most
recent Lady Owl to score 1,000 points when she reached the
milestone on Feb. 9, 2000. Anyone with more information regarding
this group is asked to contact the Era Sports department at
362-6531 or 1-800-346-7353.
