Three’s company: Dalton’s three 1,000-point scorers bring Lady Cats to the brink of a program first

Published 1:21 pm Wednesday, February 6, 2019

It’s not every day you’ll see a high school basketball player reach 1,000 career points.

It’s even rarer to see three players on the same team accomplish the feat.

Dalton High School’s Lauren Parker and Meghan and Kelsey Schneller each reached the 1,000-point milestone this season, and on Tuesday night helped lead the Lady Catamounts to within one win of the state playoffs.

“This game tonight was the game we lost last season,” Dalton coach Brad Beck said. “I told them this one is over and done with. We win tomorrow and we’re in the show.”

Playing at home in the first round of the Region 6-6A tournament, the Lady Catamounts defeated Allatoona 59-40. The victory moves Dalton (15-11) one win away from advancing to the state playoffs for the first time since the 2012-13 season. The Lady Catamounts play at 6 p.m. today at Harrison against South Cobb.

The three 1,000-point scorers combined for 38 of Dalton’s points in the win. With the basketball season winding down, each of the trio has her own memories of the path to 1,000.

Parker, who scored her 1,000th career point in a 53-43 loss to Northwest Whitfield on Jan. 12, said reaching the milestone has never been a motivating factor for her love of the game. Having been a starter for the Lady Catamounts since her freshman season, she said making the state playoffs this year would mean just as much, if not more, than her personal accomplishment.

“It (scoring 1,000) is something that’s always been in the back of my mind, but it’s never been the thing that pushes me to play,” Parker said. “I love that I was able to do that, but that’s not all the game is about for me. It’s about a lot more.”

For the Schneller twins, reaching 1,000 points was a goal as far back as their middle school years. Kelsey Schneller, who scored her 1,000th point in a 51-43 win over South Cobb on Nov. 27, 2018, distinctly remembers setting her sights on the career mark while the two sisters were attending Christian Heritage School.

“At the front of the school they displayed all the 1,000-point balls and trophies,” Kelsey Schneller said. “I remember thinking I want to do that.”

Meghan Schneller remembers thinking the same thing. The shorter of the two sisters, Meghan joined the 1,000-point club in a 61-41 win over Walton on Dec. 27, 2018, and said she’s always needed to work a little harder for her points than her sister. The majority of the Schnellers’ points were scored at Christian Heritage School. According to Meghan Schneller, reaching 1,000 points while being a player at Dalton made the accomplishment more sweet.

“I’m glad we both reached that goal here, because it’s a much bigger division,” Meghan Schneller said. “Kelsey only needed 15 more points at the beginning of the year to reach it, but I still needed 100 or so. Reaching the mark in this hard of a region meant a lot for me.”

Parker said being able to practice with high school players when she was younger was a big advantage for her development and said she wasn’t even aware she was nearing the milestone until earlier this season. Already committed to play softball in college at Reinhardt University in Waleska, Parker said she’ll miss basketball once this season comes to an end. The points have always come second to winning for Parker.

“I’m really proud of my softball career, but honestly I’m really proud of this basketball season, too,” Parker said. “Not only for the 1,000 points, but because we haven’t had any jealousy or ‘me-ball’ all season. We brought two new players in and they became just one of us and I’m really proud of that.”

Incorporating two capable scorers into an already established team is not always easy, but both Schnellers echoed Parker’s comments. Being twins has allowed the Schnellers to compete with each other since an early age and each said their driveway games of H-O-R-S-E helped with their shooting touch. When it came to who had the better one-on-one record, Kelsey Schneller was quick to respond.

“She is feisty when we play one-on-one,” Kelsey Schneller said while laughing. “She’s so competitive and she hates to lose. If I go up for a layup against her I’ll get scared.”

Reaching an individual milestone is an accomplishment to be proud of in its own right, but helping their team to reach the state playoffs is a common goal for all three of the seniors. However, reaching the playoffs isn’t all Meghan Schneller hopes to accomplish.

“Our goal is to make the playoffs,” Meghan Schneller said. “But for me personally, I want to win the region tournament, too.”