Bensalem senior Lyric Lewis surpassed the 1,000-point milestone in Wednesday’s win over West Chester East.
By Mary Jane Souder
Lyric Lewis makes scoring points look easy.
“She can score in a variety of ways,” coach Geoff Per said of his talented guard. “She can rebound, she can defend the ball, and she has a nose for the ball.”
The Bensalem senior is averaging close to 20 points a game this season. On Wednesday night, Lewis reached a historic milestone when she turned a steal on the defensive end into a layup midway through the second quarter of the Owls’ 51-39 win over West Chester East in the consolation game of the Colonials’ Holiday Tournament.
The game was halted, and Lewis – who needed 11 points entering the game - was presented with the game ball.
“I was really excited,” Lewis said. “My freshman year I didn’t see this happening, but once I started working out, I thought this could be a goal for me this year.”
Making the accomplishment even more remarkable is the fact that Lewis is a relative newcomer to the world of competitive basketball. She didn’t start playing until she was in seventh grade.
“I always wanted to play, but my mom didn’t want me to,” Lewis said. “Some of my cousins played sports, so I would always be at their games. Seeing it, I just wanted to do it, and she finally let me.”
Lewis credits her mother – Kia Kaplan – for becoming her number one supporter. She also credits her rapid development to her cousin and AAU coach Antowine Graham, who is a director of events for the International Student Athlete Academy (ISAA).
“He’ll call me in the morning and say, ‘Let’s go, we’re working out,’ so we’ll work out,” said Lewis, who began playing for ISAA in eighth grade. “I’ll go home, go to sleep, and get up (the next day) – ‘We’re going to work out, we’re going to run the hills, we’re going to the gym to shoot, we’ve got a list.’
“He made me the player I am today – always pushing me to go out and do what I’ve got to do. His line is, ‘If you’re not doing it, someone else is.’”
Lewis needed 30 points going into the holiday tournament at Plymouth Whitemarsh to reach the milestone. She scored 19 in Tuesday’s opening round loss to PW and needed 11 on Wednesday.
“She’s like every other thousand-point scorer – she came out, took a couple of threes, and they were short,” Per said. “She went to the rim once or twice and didn’t get a call.
“My dad was a head coach for 23 years, and he probably had 10 thousand-point scorers. I told her before the game, ‘I’ve watched a lot of people score a thousand. You’re going to press, you’re going to force shots. I’m not going to yank you for taking a bad shot, but let the game come to you.’
“I tell every kid – free throws and layups. Go to the rim, get fouled, get some free throws, get some confidence, make some layups. She likes the three-point ball, there’s no doubt about it, but I just think she needed to get into a rhythm first.”
Lewis finished with 19 points in Bensalem’s win, and the senior standout is looking to continue her career at the collegiate level, but she’s in no hurry to make a decision.
“A lot of schools call, but right now I’m more focused on getting my team a winning record this high school season,” Lewis said. “Closer to the end of the season, I’ll start making my visits.
“I never wanted to rush a commitment. I want to make sure I make the right decision, and my mind is clear to make the right decision. I want to end the season with a winning record and hopefully make the playoffs. That’s my goal, and I want to see it happen.”
According to Per, Lewis is just beginning to show glimpses of the player she will become.
“She’s not even close to her potential yet,” the Owls’ coach said. “Her best days will be her second and third year in college when I believe she’ll really start to reach what her level is. The sky’s the limit.”
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