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Ossining Wins Title, Chong Scores 2,000th Point

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Ossining’s girls basketball team has plenty of reason to be proud.

The Pride won the Class AA championship, 79-48, against Our Lady of Lourdes at the Westchester County Center on Sunday. To put the cherry on top, Saniya Chong scored her 2,000th career point, and did so in less than three seasons in an Ossining uniform.

As if the feat were not amazing enough on its own, she accomplished it when she was fouled on a successful three-point basket. She sank the free throw to complete the four-point play and reach the milestone.

“I was kind of nervous. It was a lot of pressure,” Chong said of her emotions at the free throw line. “It kind of went in and out, so as soon as it went in, I was kind of happy.”

She was all the more satisfied to get the four points all at once.

“Coming in here when you’re not expecting to get 2,000 and realizing that you need four more points and (getting) a four-point play, it’s a really great feeling,” Chong said.

Chong needed 31 points coming into the game to reach 2,000 points. She finished with exactly that amount and added eight assists, five rebounds and two steals.

Ossining coach Dan Ricci said he was keeping track of Chong’s total and continually reminded her of how many more points she needed to hit the mark.

Chong said Ricci told her before the game that “today was most likely the day that you’ll (get the) 2,000 points.” He updated her on her point total at halftime and told her she needed 13 more.

So Chong went out and tried to hit the mark as fast as possible.

“It was four more points, so I wanted to try to get it over with by shooting threes,” Chong said. “I got a foul, didn’t realize it was going in. It went in.”

Ricci told the officials he wanted a timeout if Chong made her foul shot. After it went in, Chong and her teammates embraced in front of their bench. She received a commemorative ball and tossed it to her mom on the sideline.

“What’s amazing about her is, most kids, you can’t tell them when they’re close to 1,000 or in this case, 2,000. They’ll get nervous,” Ricci said. “The kid doesn’t get nervous.”

The New York State record is 3,548 points, while the Section 1 record is currently held by Karen O’Connor of FDR-Hyde Park with 2,662 points. Sheila Wagner of Peekskill holds the Westchester County record with 2,476 points.

Ossining received a bye into the regional finals at Pace University and could potentially face Binghamton there. Binghamton was the last team to defeat Ossining.

“We would like another shot at them, especially on our home turf,” Ricci said.

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