With balloons in the hallway and colorful posters scattered throughout the Bishop Fenwick crowd, there was a nervous energy in the gym as Cecilia Kay entered Friday’s game against Bishop Stang just two points away from 1,000.
With 4:56 remaining in the first quarter – of a game that ultimately favored Fenwick 38-32 – Kay was fouled on a shot beneath the basket. Through a thundering applause as she walked to the line, iPhones recorded and teammates looked on.
Then, it happened. Kay buried both free throws to give her the milestone.
“I knew it would come eventually, so I just kept playing my game,” Kay said.
The game was stopped and Kay was met with hugs at mid-court from her teammates. She received a poster, some flowers, and a roar from the Fenwick faithful.
Kay said she “had a feeling” the points would come from the line, while Fenwick head coach Adam DeBaggis added “she always does” hit her free throws.
“I’ve been able to draw a lot of fouls there,” Kay said.
Kay is thankful for the “Fenwick community” as well as her loved ones in the crowd. Talk about excitement – her friends and family were all wearing customized, white t-shirts with a black outline of Kay in the middle.
“I’m really grateful for them,” Kay said.
The first quarter thrills didn’t end with the free throws. Kay drained a three with 2:09 remaining, and (of course) finished the quarter with a buzzer-beating layup in stride.
Kay finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and seven blocks – a statline DeBaggis said is “actually below her average.” When asked what separates Kay from others on the court, DeBaggis pointed to her mindset.
“I’ve seen players get nervous about the 1,000 points,” DeBaggis said. “She was born with a lot of great gifts. However, it’s the competitive spirit.”
And similarly to her on-the-court style, Kay credited her teammates for making things easy against Stang’s bigs.
“My teammates were able to drive and kick, so that was really beneficial for us,” Kay said. “I knew I could count on them to play a good game.”
DeBaggis said he wished his team could have extended the lead more in the first half, but the Crusaders took the early momentum all the way to the end. Fenwick never trailed and finished each quarter ahead by at least six points.
DeBaggis thought his team made “weird choices” offensively, but was happy with the defense.
“We missed a lot of shots – easy ones,” DeBaggis said. “We could’ve played better, but the defense was great.”
Fenwick freshman Anna Fertonani had six points and three assists, while Erica Lendall racked up four steals.
With everyone heading down the hall for pizza and, frankly, a whole lot of smiles, Kay’s father Sean couldn’t have been happier.
“I’m very proud. It’s an amazing thing,” Sean said.
DeBaggis said Kay’s first words before the game were “let’s go, we have a basketball game to win.” Four quarters later, that’s exactly what Fenwick did in what was a special night for one of the best players in program history.
