Shea Oman scored 17 points for New London-Spicer Saturday afternoon, but it's pretty safe to say No. 6 was her favorite of the day.
Midway through the first half, Oman scored the 1,000th point of her career as the Wildcats took a 72-50 win over West Central Area. Immediately following the bucket, NLS head coach Mike Dreier called timeout and her team celebrated, as posters scattered throughout the gym were raised to commemorate the moment.
"It feels great," Oman said. "I just thanked my teammates. I wouldn't have been able to do it without them. And my family. Just about everybody was here, grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, brother ... Ever since I was a kid they come to just about every tournament, every game. They haven't missed a game since I've been on varsity. It's really a blessing. "
After celebrating with her team on the court, she took a few steps towards the bench for a high-five and a hug from her coach.
"Dreier, he's the best," Oman said. "He's turned me into the best player that I could possibly be and I'm so grateful for that."
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The game continued after Oman reached her mark and continued in much the same way, as the Wildcats continued to use sticky fingers and tenacious rebounding against West Central Area. Oman's first shot after reaching 1,000 came via a 3-pointer from five feet off the arc and the Wildcats continued to keep control. The Knights kept things close by knocking down long-distance shots but NLS was able to hang onto the lead heading into halftime with 35-21 up on the scoreboard.
The second half didn't change much as most of the healthy Wildcats checked in for their share of minutes. Erin Knisley was relentless in the paint, tacking on 13 points and seven rebounds for the Wildcats while Emma Hanson showed plenty of versatility, also logging 13 points with six rebounds.
The Knights had moments of offensive clarity, sneaking through the Wildcats' zone defense with efficient passing but for every clean pass there was another picked off or unsettled. Oman added six steals to the cause, often turning those swipes into points, the way she's done for four-plus years now.
"She's an outstanding all-around player," Dreier said. "She does it all. (Tonight) is a real nice reward for the excellence she's shown over the years. She's earned it."
NLS 72, WCA 50
WCA (3-2) 21 29 - 50
NLS (4-0) 35 37 - 72
WEST CENTRAL AREA - Scoring: Lexi Bright 16, Kaitlyn Sanstead 4, Ella Van Kempen 14, Demara Bumgarder 5, Brianna Kreft 2, Amanda Drechsel 2, Morgan Woodle 5, Kaleigh Anderson 2 ... 3-point shots: Bright 3, Bumgarder 1, Woodle 1 ... Rebound leader: NA ... Assist leader: NA ... Steal leader: NA
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NEW LONDON-SPICER - Scoring: Shea Oman 17, Mya Krause 2, Mackenzie Rich 6, Emma Hanson 13, Payton Mages 7, Miah Larson 2, Grace DeSchepper 4, Ava Kraemer 2, Courtney Caskey 6, Erin Knisley 13 ... 3-point shots: Oman 1, Rich 2, Hanson 1 ... Rebound leader: Knisley 7, Kraemer 7, Hanson 6 ... Assist leader: Ashton Engelke 4, Oman 3 ... Steal leader: Oman 6
