Pennsville’s Marley Wood joins her sister, brother on Pennsville’s list of 1,000-point scorers
FRIDAY GIRLS BASKETBALL
Pennsville 71, Millville 33
Buena at Salem
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PENNSVILLE — Every day for the last three years whenever Marley Wood would walk into Pennsville’s gym for PE her eyes would instinctively move to the banner behind the basket recognizing the Eagles’ 1,000-point career scorers.
Every day, the last name on the banner would provide a source of motivation and inspiration.
It was the name of her sister, Ryane. From the first time she saw it hanging up there, she wanted to be on that banner, too.
Now, she will be.
The Eagles’ junior guard became the latest member of the elite club Friday when she scored her 1,000th point — and then some — in their 71-33 rout of Millville.
“I was just so relieved because it’s been my goal since I was little,” Wood said. “The day they put on my sister’s name I’m pretty sure I was here and I was just really excited to be able to see my brother and me right after her so that whoever walks in here will just know that basketball is such a big part of our lives.”
There was a lot of symmetry in the way it happened. Wood swished a 3-pointer from the left corner with 3:33 left in the first quarter to become the third member of her family to reach the magic number. Brother Luke (1,198) did it last year. Ryane (1,224) did it three years ago.
She also became the third player in Salem County to reach the milestone this season, following teammate Nora Ausland and Penns Grove’s RaNyiah Wilson.
“Wow, threes are wild,” Pennsville coach Steve Merritt said.
Wood probably could have done it Thursday in a similarly one-sided game with Schalick, but she didn’t want to steal the thunder from the seniors on Senior Night and scored just enough to leave the target within single digits. And by delaying it a day it gave more family and friends a chance to be there.
In addition to local friends and family who made it to the gym, sister Callie came all the way up from Virginia Tech to witness and celebrate the feat.
The game originally was scheduled as Millville’s Senior Night, but the Thunderbolts agreed to play it here and reposition its gala out of respect for the milestone. The Eagles’ next opportunity at home would have been Monday against Penns Grove, a game that now seems threatened by predicted bad weather.
“She looked so much more comfortable out there today than she was yesterday,” Merritt said. “Yesterday she was unselfish and passing the ball around and everything else. It was so cool she got it on a 3, too. That was ideal.”
Wood needed eight points to reach the milestone and accommodated the visitors who had to leave early by getting them in the first five minutes of the game. She opened the game by banking in a jumper from the top of the key, then hit a layup and two free throws before nailing the 3 the landed her on the number. She finished with 16 points and now has 1,008 in her career.
The goal now is to pass both her sister and brother on the scoring list — and they’re both within reach —but she’ll still be listed behind them on the banner because of the order it occurred.
“I’ve been waiting to see Ryane, Luke, Marley on the banner,” she said.
Taylor Bass had another big game for the Eagles (15-6), hitting four more 3s and scoring 26 points. She’s on track to become the next member of the 1,000-point club, now with 765 career points. Ausland added 14 to her career total and now has 1,064.
Late in the fourth quarter Merritt inserted Kylie Weist in the game. The freshman promptly picked up a loose ball hit a 3-pointer for the first points of her career.
Just 997 points to go.
PENNSVILLE 71, MILLVILLE 33
MILLVILLE (6-14): Angeliya Cephas 4 0-2 9, Jaylynn Jones 4 0-0 9, Aphrea Robinson 1 1-2 3, Naomi Burkhart 4 1-2 10, Shaylynn Kelly 0 0-0 0, Kamya Smith 1 0-0 2. Totals 14 2-6 33.
PENNSVILLE (15-6): Taylor Bass 11 0-1 26, Marley Wood 7 1-2 16, Nora Ausland 5 1-4 14, Sofia Belitsas 0 0-0 0, Jaida Burns 2 0-0 4, Kylie Weist 1 0-0 3, Addie Johnston 3 0-0 8. Totals 29 2-7 71.
| Millville | 9 | 3 | 10 | 11- | 33 |
| Pennsville | 27 | 9 | 17 | 18- | 71 |
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