North Penn senior Lauren Crisler reached the 1,000-point milestone in Tuesday night’s win over Central Bucks South.
By Mary Jane Souder
Lauren Crisler received a text from former North Penn teammate Steph Knauer after surpassing the 1,000-point plateau in Tuesday’s win over Central Bucks South. It read simply, ‘Welcome to the club.’
And quite a club it is.
The Maidens’ senior captain became the eighth female at North Penn to reach the historical milestone when she connected on the first of two foul shots early in the third quarter after being fouled going hard to the basket.
“At that point, I was a little out of breath, so I was just trying to catch my breath for a second,” Crisler recalled. “I knew if I missed the first foul shot I had the second one, and I knew I just had to make one of them.
“I was pretty relaxed at that point.”
And what was Crisler feeling when the ball went through the net?
“I guess it was kind of a big wave of relief,” she said. “In the past couple of games, I have been working really hard. I knew this was coming up, and I really wanted to get it at home, so we could have a crowd like we did.”
As special nights go, this one was nothing short of magical.
Fans turned out in force to support the senior standout, and with a countdown of the points Crisler needed on signs in the student section – she came into the game needing 13, there was no mistaking this was Crisler’s night.
“I was trying so hard not to look over at them because I just wanted to focus on the game, but it was honestly so hard,” she said. “The student section was so great. They made it 20 times more special.
“It would have been special if they weren’t there, but just having them there and having that support, it was such a great night. Everyone was cheering for me. It kind of helped a little bit with the nerves.”
The show of support carried over into halftime when – while the Maidens were warming up – each Crisler made shot was greeted with raucous cheers.
“Oh my gosh, it was crazy,” she said. “It was kind of embarrassing, but it was great.
“I was just taking close shots so that I could make them. They were like, ‘Take a three, take a three.’ I was like, ‘No way.’ I probably would have airballed it.”
Coach Maggie deMarteleire admits she wasn’t sure how Crisler would respond to all the fanfare.
“The crowd was into it from the get-go,” the Maidens’ coach said. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, there’s so much pressure on Lauren. I hope she can handle it,’ and she did. She really did. She played very composed.”
“I was actually pretty calm in the game,” Crisler said. “I just let it come to me. I didn’t want to force anything.”
Letting the game come to her has been a Crisler trademark, but there was no mistaking her teammates were eager to get her the ball.
“Of course, CB South was guarding her pretty good, and we tried to force it sometimes,” deMarteleire said. “I said to the girls, ‘If Lauren isn’t open, just shoot the ball, and she can get the rebound. We don’t need to keep forcing the ball to her.’”
Crisler has been an impact player since she stepped onto the court as a freshman, and she admits the idea of scoring a thousand points did cross her mind.
“When I got there my freshman year and saw that banner up there, it was kind of a goal of mine,” she said. “Toward the end of my junior year my dad had totaled up my points, and I realized it was within reach. I could do it.
“After seeing Steph do it last year – that was so amazing. I wanted to do it in consecutive years.”
The night, according to deMarteleire, could not have followed a better script.
“It really was perfect,” she said. “We won the game, Lauren got her thousand points, the little (community) kids played at halftime. It was a good night.
“I’m happy that Lauren got it because she really, really deserved it. She’s such a good kid, and she’s worked so hard every practice, every game. Her versatility is such an asset.”
Crisler finished the night with 17 points, eight rebounds, four steals and six blocked shots. It was a typical night on the hardwood for the senior captain, whose play has propelled the Maidens to a 15-2 record.
“It’s definitely a relief that it’s over,” Crisler said. “Not that I was worrying about it or thinking about it – I was just playing, but it’s kind of like a monkey is off my back now. I’m so excited for playoffs and the finish to our season. I’m looking forward to that.”
Crisler – who has accepted a full basketball scholarship to American University – has added her name to an elite list that includes Ebiho Ahonkhai (1992), Jen Houser (1996), Jami Wilus (1998), Amber Smolinski (1999), Adelina Gentry (2002), Lindsay Sock (2003) and Knauer (2012).
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