Madison Snyder nets 1,000th career point

CLARKSVILLE — The quiet leader by example for the Hillsboro Lady Indians gave future players a goal to shoot for on Wednesday evening, as senior Madison Snyder scored her 1,000th career point in a South Central Ohio League game at Clinton-Massie.

Snyder, who is a four-year varsity starter, gained the career milestone during the third quarter with 3:58 on the scoreboard, sinking the first of two free throws on the trip to the free-throw line. Snyder needed 16 points entering the game to gain the feat.

The way Snyder gained her 1,000th career point was similar to her teammate from last year Kaylynn Bell, who also gained her 1,000th career point on the road, from the free-throw line and in a game played in Clinton County, as Bell achieved the feat in an SCOL game at Wilmington High School.

For the game, Snyder finished with 19 points, scoring six points in the first quarter, four in the second, seven in the third and two more in the fourth. She was 5-of-8 from the free-throw line. She nearly had a double-double, finishing with nine rebounds and shot 7-of-14 from the floor.

Snyder knew all she needed was a free-throw conversion for the 1,000th point when she stepped to the line, as she spoke about that moment following the 73-37 loss to the Associated Press Division II No. 7 ranked Clinton-Massie Lady Falcons.

Snyder has totaled 252 points thus far this season in 16 games, an average of 15.75 points per game.

“It has been a whole new process this year, because we graduated six seniors from last year, and they were always the leaders, and that was kind of hard when Coach (JR) Moberly said ‘you are going to have to take on a whole new role and become the leader of this team,’” Snyder told The Highland County Press following the game. “That was kind of intimidating to me because I’m more of a quiet person, and I lead more by example. What my teammates have taught me the most is to help me get out of my comfort zone and be that person to fill that leadership role.

“When I was getting ready to shoot the free throw I knew I needed to make one for them, and I thought, ‘This is a free throw, and I’m not 100-percent at them, so this would be my luck to hit it on a free throw.”

Hillsboro head coach JR Moberly spoke greatly of Snyder and of her achievement.

“Madison has earned this by having four years of hard work and consistency,” Moberly said. “She’s had some big games and games where she didn’t score a lot of points, but you always have the same effort night-in, night-out, regardless.

“There have been times where she couldn’t lift her arm, and there have been times where she couldn’t stand on one foot, but she would find a way to get out there and compete. She earned her spot her freshman year when she dove on the basketball to recover a loose ball on one end, got up and chased down the other end and got the tip-in on a missed layup. She’s been in our starting lineup ever since. She’s going to be extremely difficult to replace. Madison is a 4.0-plus student and is interviewing to go to pharmacy school, and she is just an outstanding kid.”

Before the celebration of the 1,000-point milestone, the Lady Indians (1-9, 1-15) played competitive and close basketball with the Lady Falcons in the first quarter, as they trailed by just three points at the conclusion of the first quarter.

HHS led early on with a 3-0 lead as Snyder sank a free throw and Natalie Sullivan scored two points with 5:21 left in the quarter. CM (7-3, 13-3) answered with a steal and a layup from Miquela Santoro with 4:15 left on the opening quarter scoreboard. Santoro finished with a game-high 30 points, including seven 3-pointers.

Snyder came back for the Lady Indians with a jumper for a 5-2 advantage with 3:43 left in the first, but CM responded with five consecutive points to take the lead for good.

HHS saw Snyder score three more points in the opening frame, but the host Lady Falcons came back with two free throws by Madison Purkey and a steal and layup by Santoro for the 11-8 lead after eight minutes. Purkey also finished in double figures for the Lady Falcons, totaling 13 points.

The Lady Indians allowed 22 points in the second frame, including four 3-pointers, while scoring just nine for what turned into a 33-17 halftime deficit as Snyder and Sydney Bobbitt each scored four points in the frame, while Kristen Jamieson added one point via free throw in the second.

In the second half, the Lady Indians added 13 points in the third frame but allowed 25 points by the hosts, and in the final eight minutes, HHS scored seven points, and the Lady Falcons wrapped up their scoring with a 15-point fourth frame.

“I thought we had a nice first quarter against them, but again, the second and third quarters, both times we played them, they just played very solid basketball,” HHS head coach JR Moberly said. “I don’t know if they missed a shot there for a stretch. They shot the ball very well (Wednesday) and at our place.

“Our kids were working hard, but Clinton-Massie was shooting the ball well, got good looks and they have a good ball club.”

For the Lady Indians, they had a total of seven players score points in the SCOL loss, and following Snyder in the scoring column was Bobbitt with six points and Sullivan with four. Jamieson finished with three points, and scoring two points each were Hanna Breeden and Taylor Chaney. Rounding out the scoring for HHS was Lilly McCleese with one point.

To end the night, Snyder wanted to say thanks to all those involved with her achieving the 1,000-point feat.

“I want to thank my parents, my family, my coaches, my current and former teammates … they all push me,” she said. “Coach Moberly has been with me all four years as my head coach. I can’t thank my teammates enough. They worked to step up in a new role this year, never playing varsity basketball, and I really appreciate that.”