SHARPSVILLE — Just when it may seem as if the prep athletic career of Eastern senior Bethany Neeley couldn’t get more decorated, she goes out and outdoes herself once again.
Already a state champion in track and field and a three-time state qualifier in cross country, Neeley added yet another feather to her cap Tuesday night, scoring 24 points to eclipse the 1,000-point mark for her basketball career in the Class 2A No. 7-ranked Comets’ 63-43 road win over Tri-Central.
The 35th girl in Howard County history to eclipse the mark, Neeley joins her twin sister, Brittany, in the 1,000-point club, making the duo the first twins in county history to share such an honor.
“This is pretty cool,” Bethany said. “It doesn’t compare to the state title in track. But, it’s pretty special because I’m a runner, not a basketball player. Everyone looks at us as runners. I really wanted Brittany to have a special year like this, and I’m glad I can share this with her.”
Bethany became the fifth girl in school history to reach the mark, joining Brittany (1,187 after Tuesday night), Beth Dean (1,113), Brenda Nicholson (1,072) and Stephanie Cheek (1,007) in the 1,000-point club, further cementing the sisters’ legacies at Eastern High School.
“I’ve talked numerous about what Bethany and Brittany have meant to me personally, let alone our basketball program,” Eastern coach Jeremy Dexter said. “They’re just great kids and great role models. It was really important to get [the milestone] before we start to try and reach some of our season goals in the postseason.”
Bethany entered Tuesday night needing 21 points in her regular-season finale to reach the milestone. She scored 11 points in the first half on 4-of-8 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 firing from the free throw line, leaving her 10 short of the mark with two quarters to play as the Class 2A No. 7-ranked Comets bolted to a 34-17 halftime lead.
Bethany came out of the locker room locked in, scoring Eastern’s first 13 points of the second half to reach the mark.
With 3:55 remaining in the third quarter, she snatched a long rebound and hit a layup from the left side of the rim in transition to go over the mark at the 3:49 mark.
Tri-Central stopped the clock to acknowledge the milestone as the Comets faithful gave Bethany a standing ovation. She exited a few minutes later to another warm round of applause.
“We really didn’t address it a ton at halftime,” Dexter said. “We just said, ‘Let it come to you. She needs 10.’ We were really playing tight at times once we got that early lead. They just wanted to get it out of the way for her. They force fed her the basketball and she got out in transition some.”
Bethany finished the night 9 of 20 from the field and 5 of 6 from the line. She added 10 rebounds and a pair of steals — she leads the area in both categories.
“She was more excited for me than I was when I hit [the milestone],” sister Brittany explained. “[Tuesday], I was more excited for her than she was. She made free throws early and didn’t look nervous. She thought she wasn’t having a great game but I told her to be grateful for what she has. You’re not going to play a perfect game, but you’re going to get to 1,000.”
The milestones come in a year where Eastern will enter the postseason with a 17-3 record and a top-10 ranking in the Class 2A poll. Bethany said she felt blessed to be able to enjoy such success with the personal accolade.
“During my first couple years of high school we didn’t have any post play,” Bethany said. “It was five guards on the court and run the ball. Now, Taylor [Holliday] is down there rebounding and Ally [Oyler] can hit the 3. I said during my senior speech last week that it’s really nice if Brittany or I have an off game, they’re there to light it up. I think that can take us far in the tournament. If we play well, that’ll be what’s key for us.”
Bethany had already added a state championship in the 1,600-meter run last spring as a junior before adding a fifth-place finish in the cross country state finals this fall. The Comets finished seventh as a team.
Eastern delivered TC an early knockout punch, scoring the first 19 points of the game before building the lead up to as much as 33 early in the fourth quarter.
Brittany enjoyed an outstanding game as well, finishing the night with 17 points, 12 rebounds and eight steals. Oyler added 11 points and hit a trio of 3-pointers for the Comets.
Cecelia Rayl led Tri-Central with 12 points, while Hadley DeWeese added nine points. Shelby Ramsey and Megan Randles both pulled down seven rebounds for the Trojans (5-15), who have lost six straight.
Sports
Related Photos
-
YES! Bethany Neeley is all smiles as she talks to her twin sister, Brittany, after Bethany went past 1,000 career points during the Class 2A No. 7-ranked Comets’ game against Tri-Central on Tuesday at Sharpsville. Bethany joined her sister in the Comets’ 1,000-point club. KT photo | Kelly Lafferty
Discussion
A grand finale
Bethany Neeley joins 1,000-point club in final regular-season game
- Sports
-
-
Comets wear crown
In a softball game that was every bit the pitchers’ duel many were expecting, Tipton senior stud Shelby Hursh and Eastern junior ace Abby Oyler went head-to-head for nine innings in Friday’s Class 2A Eastern Sectional final.
When the smallest of doors cracked open late in extra innings, it was the Comets who were able to sneak through. -
Northwestern takes down West Lafayette
Northwestern played a very solid game on both offense and defense in defeating West Lafayette 8-5 in the opening round of the IHSAA Class 3A Peru Baseball Sectional Thursday night.
-
10 area athletes advance to boys track state finals
Austin Roark’s first season as the head boys track and field coach at Eastern High School just keeps getting better and better.
A week after guiding the Comets to their first sectional title since 1998, Roark will join six of his athletes at next weekend’s IHSAA state finals after advancing out of Thursday’s Kokomo Regional at Walter Cross Field. -
Eastern dominates Taylor in softball
GREENTOWN — The third time turned out not to be the charm for the Taylor softball squad as Eastern improved to 3-0 on the season over its backyard rival Wednesday night, ousting the Titans from the Class 2A Eastern Sectional 15-0 in five innings.
-
Barnes sets Taylor's career hits record
Taylor baseball standout Logan Barnes made his final game at George Phares Field one to remember.
Barnes pitched four solid innings to lead Taylor past Monroe Central 9-3 Tuesday. In addition, he went 2 for 3 at the plate, pushing his career hits total to a school-record 142. -
Kats drop heartbreaker
When the postseason arrives, emotions surge like a roller-coaster. One minute, it’s a long uphill, then a wild series of events offer a barrage of frights and thrills. And then, for one team, the ride ends and there aren’t any more tickets for another go around.
After two days of chills and thrills, Kokomo’s softball team ran out of tickets Tuesday night in the Class 4A Harrison Sectional. The Kats dropped a 4-3 decision to Harrison in eight innings, giving up a run in the top of the extra frame, and having a runner tagged out at home in the bottom of the frame.
“It was a great game,” Harrison coach Dick Mitchell said. “It’s always nerve-wracking to coach in one of them, but both teams played their hearts out. Nobody deserved to lose that game, but unfortunately somebody does.” -
Comets turn heads at track regional
Heading into Tuesday’s IHSAA girls track and field regional at Fort Wayne Northrop High School’s Spuller Stadium, event workers alike weren’t sure of Eastern High School’s location.
After the dust settled, they may feel compelled to get a map out and find out where Greentown is located.
Led by seniors Sarah Wagner, Brittany Neeley and Bethany Neeley, the Comets qualified for the state finals in six separate events to finish fourth as a team with 55.5 points, behind host and champion Northrop (78), Bellmont (68) and Carroll (Allen) 66. -
GASKINS: Hibbert’s block was thing of beauty
For the better part of the NBA season, ESPN devoted all kinds of time on SportsCenter episodes to replays of two dunks. Anyone who watches any ESPN at all surely knows the two to which I’m referring: 6-foot-11 DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers posterizing 6-3 Brandon Knight of the Detroit Pistons, and 6-8 LeBron James of the Miami Heat hammering home a dunk over 6-2 Jason Terry of the Boston Celtics.
Day after day, ESPN commentators lavished endless praise, which quickly grew tiresome. The dunks were strong, but Jordan and James were much taller and heavier than Knight and Terry and the dunkers also caught perfect alley-oop passes with the defenders in poor positions to defend. Still, ESPN commentators loved these plays.
I kept wondering if a great defensive play would receive the same kind of love. -
Coons, Walker, Glassburn reach Victory Lane
When the dust settled Sunday evening at the Kokomo Speedway, a pair of drivers who have visited Victory Lane in the past at the local oval found themselves there once again while a talented up-and-comer hit the hallowed ground for the first time.
Jerry Coons Jr. had his way in the sprint car feature and Craig Walker seemed to get faster as the laps wound down to win the Street Stock main event, however Kokomo High School sophomore Kory Glassburn had to scratch and fight before scoring the first feature win of his career in the Thunder Car A-main. -
Field is set for Indianapolis 500
After being bumped from the starting field while sitting on the qualifying line on pole day, Josef Newgarden turned the fastest time on bump day, assuring himself a spot in the Indianapolis 500.
The field of 33 cars will have one final opportunity to practice on Friday before next Sunday’s 97th running of the 500.
One year ago the Sarah Fisher Racing Team withdrew Newgarden’s entry on the first day of qualifying and had to qualify on bump day. This year the team decided not to make another qualifying run and got bumped. - More Sports Headlines
-
Raw: Train Derails After Overpass Collapse
Raw: Rescues From San Antonio Flooding
Raw: French Soldier Stabbed in Throat Near Paris
Mayor: Person Killed in San Antonio Flooding
Raw: Apple 1 Computer Sells for More Than $650k
Hagel Urges Cadets to End Scourge of Sex Assault
Raw: Gay Rights Activists March in Ukraine
Bus Fire Kills 16 Children, Teacher in Pakistan
Raw: Pakistan Election Results Protested
Raw: Trucker Bumps I-5 Bridge Before Collapse
Raw: Texas Deputy Shot by Colo. Suspect Honored
Major Detours Following Wash. Bridge Collapse
American Held in Grisly Czech Murders
Raw: Jersey Shore Reopens for Summer
UK-bound Pakistan Plane Diverted, 2 Men Arrested
