Montgomery senior nets 1,000th point in narrow victory
By: Bob Nuse
More than anything else, Megan Fox felt relieved Wednesday night when she scored her 1,000th career point for the Montgomery High girls’ basketball team.
"I was pretty anxious," said the Cougar senior, who entered the game against McCorristin needing just four points to reach 1,000 for her career. "I don’t think I’ve ever been that anxious in my life. (My teammates) were all excited and I think everyone just wanted it so bad. I was pretty nervous on the foul shot. It was a huge relief. I’m definitely excited about it, but it was like a huge weight off my shoulders. I was very happy, but also very relieved to have it finally happen."
Fox reached 999 points when she converted a layup and free throw, then got to 1,000 on a free throw with 4:33 left to play in the opening quarter. For the night, Fox turned in her typical game, finishing with 15 points, nine rebounds and a pair of assists in Montgomery’s 45-44 win.
By reaching the 1,000-point plateau, Fox becomes just the fourth girl in school history to score that many points, joining Nicole DeLorato, Leslie Gooding and Lisa Robbins.
"I am very proud of Megan," Montgomery coach Paul Popadiuk said. "This is the first 1,000-point scorer I have had as a head coach. As an assistant I had a few. I played with Division I players in high school. I played in high school with a guy who became a professional, Eric Murdock.
"But from winning two state championships in high school and playing with future Division I players and professionals, there has been no one who I have been in contact with that works as hard at the game of basketball as her."
Fox is in the Montgomery gym every morning before school working on her game. She also spends countless hours over the summer working to become the best player she can be. That hard work has made her one of the best to ever play for Montgomery.
"She’s not necessarily the most athletic person on the court, but her hard work and perseverance has paid off and paid great dividends," said Popadiuk, whose team improved to 17-5 with Wednesday’s win and will open play in the North Jersey, Section 2 Group III tournament on Thursday against either Ridge or Scotch-Plains Fanwood. "She’s in this gym every morning at 6 o’clock when the school opens up and she’s shooting every day.
"She works all year round and she does everything possible to make herself a better basketball player. I just think the world of her and her work ethic. She is a model for others to follow and I’m proud of her."
Fox doesn’t have to look far to figure out where her work ethic comes from. She has two older brothers, Tim and Brian, who played for the Cougars and gave her a standard to shoot for.
"I’ve been playing a long time," said Fox, who plans to play at New York University next year. "My brothers both played. Brian showed me the way throughout my entire high school career. He gave me workouts and told me how to play. He showed me the fundamentals more than anybody else."
And that made it all the more special that her brothers were able to join her parents at Wednesday’s game.
"Both of them told me that they couldn’t come," Fox said. "I talked to my brother at 3 o’clock and he told me he was at work, and he works in Pittsburgh. And then they both just walked in before the game."
What they saw was the same kind of effort their sister has been giving the Cougars for four years. She played solid defense, scored when she had to and helped Montgomery pull out a game it needed to win after suffering a tough loss to Franklin Monday in the Somerset County Tournament.
"We were just happy to come out of here with a win after Monday night," Popadiuk said. "We had all the stir about Megan getting 1,000 and I thought we came out strong. We just seem at times a step slower and not composed and making the right decisions at the right times. We just seem to come unglued."
But this time the Cougars held on. And Fox was able to enjoy her milestone much more than if it had come during a close loss.
"It wouldn’t have as good an experience if we had lost," said, whose 15 points shared team-high scoring honors with Emily Hyncik. "That would have overshadowed everything, so it was important that we won, especially after we lost on Monday in a similar situation."
Winning always is the most important thing for Fox, who didn’t jump for joy or go wild when she reached 1,000. Instead, after a brief ceremony, she went to the foul line and sank her second free throw.
"That’s her demeanor," Popadiuk said. "Once in a while in a game she’ll show some fire pumping up her fist. But she’s more hard work and stoic as far as her expression goes."
And all business on the court, where she has been one of Montgomery’s best ever for the last four years.