Sanderson scores 1,000 points

By Gloria Austin  
Staff Writer
    It didn’t come easy, but it came.
     Houlton senior Vanessa Sanderson broke into the 1,000-point club last Friday night in her last home game of her career.
    Sanderson needed 19 points heading into the Lady Shires game against visiting Hodgdon. She began knocking off her points, but the last five were difficult to sink. The rim seemed to have a cover on it, as she made several inside layup moves only to watch the ball roll off the rim and her free throws dropped away. She was visibly getting frustrated, mounting more pressure on herself, as time was winding down.
    “I knew it was very possible for me to get what I needed that night,” said Sanderson. “My coach told me to just play my game. Let it come to me and not to stress about it. I tend to be my toughest critic. I do put a lot of pressure on myself.”
    Sanderson’s teammates continued to encourage her with pats on the back.
    “I just had to keep reminding myself that the game was not over yet,” Sanderson said.
    Finally, Sanderson had only three points to go. She spotted up behind the arc and let the ball fly … swish … her 1,000th point with 6:57 left in the game. It was pandemonium, as both sides were cheering. After she received a ball and flowers, her mother, Debbie, ran down onto the court and swooped up her daughter, twirling her around in sheer exhilaration.
    “It has always been in the back of my mind,” Sanderson said of her accomplishment. “It is something I used to dream about as a kid, especially growing up watching a lot of amazing athletes go through the Houlton athletics program.”
    Sanderson’s parents, Debbie (McGuire) and Chuck Sanderson both were standout players at Hodgdon High School in the 80s.
    “I have been told I play a lot like my Mom used to in high school from the way I run to the way I shoot my foul shots. I take that as a compliment. I admire my Mom a lot. She knows what she is talking about when it comes to basketball, but this is the only time I’ll admit to that,” laughed Sanderson.
    Other than her mother, Sanderson has wanted to play like Diana Taurasi, a University of Connecticut alumni and a professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA.
    “She is an amazing point guard with incredible leadership skills, and I look up to that,” she said.
    Sanderson thanks her parents for their continued support through the years.
    “They have been at every single game and event,” she said. “They have made me the person and player I am today. I also want to thank my brother Parker and the rest of my family and friends.”
    Of course then there are coaches at every stage, including Sanderson’s varsity coach Shawn Graham and her teammates.
    “Mr. Graham deserves a big thank you, too. He has always been one of my biggest supporters and I have really grown as an athlete and person because of him,” she said. “I want to thank assistant coach Tweedie and the rest of the team. I’m on a team with the best group of girls. They have made this year so memorable for me and I can’t thank them enough.”
    Though Sanderson said she can’t even begin to describe how it feels to reach the 1,000-point plateau, she knows it is a memory she will always cherish.
    “It was an amazing moment,” she said. “Not only for me, but for my entire family, my friends, my coaches and teammates. I couldn’t ask for a better time to do it, as it was Senior Night. The atmosphere in that gym made the night so special for me.”
     Basking in her individual accomplishment is over, and it’s back to business as usual on the hardwood.
    “The next goal would be to have a good showing in Bangor,” she said. “It is a whole different game down there, but I know we are ready. I have said from Day One that this is the hardest working group I have ever played with, so, if we go down there and give it everything we have, I’ll be satisified.”
PROUD MOMENT – Vanessa Sanderson, a senior at Houlton High School, scored her 1,000th high school career point during last Friday’s game against Hodgdon. Enjoying the moment with Sanderson are her parents, Debbie and Chuck and her brother Parker.