Carver’s Mariah Igus honored for 1,000th career point in win over Columbus

Mariah Igus’ first two points in Carver’s game against Columbus came on a shot that looked like many the senior has hit in her time as a Lady Tiger. After the play, however, Carver head coach Anson Hundley revealed it was no ordinary shot.

After Igus scored on a deep 2-pointer with about three minutes left in the first quarter, Hundley finally caught an official’s attention and called a timeout. At that point, Hundley announced Igus had eclipsed 1,000 career points, much to the surprise of the senior guard.

“I was happy and excited when I found out,” Igus said. “I really didn’t know I was close because my stepdad was like, ‘You’ve got 60 points to go.’ I had no idea.”

During a brief intermission in play, Igus was presented with a plaque while family and friends cheered while wearing red shirts with Igus’ image on them. The commemorative shirts weren’t limited to the spectators, as Hundley and his assistant coaches changed into them for the second half of play.

For a player of Igus’ importance, a wardrobe change was the least Hundley could do.

“Whenever a kid can come in and score 1,000 points, it’s a very big deal,” Hundley said. “She has been that person we leaned on when games were tight and games were tough. I’m very proud of her, and I think her hard work, dedication and loyalty to what we do has really showed.”

Igus admitted she had to fight her emotions after learning of the milestone, but the surprise seemed to help her game. She had a quiet first half before coming on in the third quarter, scoring nine of her 13 points in the period.

Igus was part of a constant defensive pressure all night that helped Carver thump Columbus 81-33. The Lady Tigers recorded six steals and forced numerous Columbus turnovers, which quickly left the score lopsided in Carver’s favor.

“We pride ourselves on defense,” Hundley said. “We put pressure on the ball and making teams play at the speed we want them to play at. I thought they did a good job.”

Igus’ achievement made Friday night an evening to remember, and in her eyes, the win over Columbus was the cherry on top.

It was a good day for us and for me, too,” Igus said.

This story was originally published January 19, 2018 at 9:41 PM with the headline "Carver’s Mariah Igus honored for 1,000th career point in win over Columbus."