Fayette senior basketball standout Oakleigh Hill surpassed 1,000 career points with a 17-point performance against Westran in the semifinals of the New Franklin Tournament Thursday night.

Hill entered the game just three points shy of the milestone. With 3:35 on the clock in the first period, she sank her second basket of the night, a short jumper from the paint, to join the coveted 1,000-point club.

Hill said she didn’t walk onto the court Thursday thinking about the achievement. “I just wanted to win the game. It was just three points, so I knew I would get it sometime in the game,” she said.

The majority of Hill’s career points were scored over her sophomore and junior seasons. As a freshman, she was a role player at Class 5 Camdenton. That role expanded during her sophomore season. She moved to Fayette when she was a junior and quickly turned heads, averaging 18 points and six rebounds a game last year. She made 70 baskets from the 3-point arc with 40% accuracy and shot 78% percent from the free-throw line while helping to lead her team to its best finish in almost two decades with a 21-9 overall record and a district title.

“Last year, I stepped into my role, and we went really far into districts,” recalled Hill after reaching the milestone. “I had the best teammates around me. I can’t do it all on my own. My teammates are a big part of it, too. And this year, they’ve become a big part as well. I’ve had amazing teammates all through high school.

“It felt good for myself, but everybody else was helping, too.”

Her talent and hard work were recognized in the 2024 postseason when she was named the Lewis & Clark Conference Player of the Year, First Team All-District, and the Class 2 District 7 District Player of the Year. She was also selected for the Harrisburg Tournament All-Tournament team.

In November, Hill signed her commitment to play basketball at Avila University in Kansas City next year.

Despite reaching triple digits, Hill’s night was somewhat soured by losing the semifinal game to rival Westran. But the season is still young for the Lady Falcons, and Hill said her team will find its groove. 

“It took us a while last year, whether I like to admit it or not. We had a rough go, but we ended up winning the district championship. I think we can come back and prove to everyone that we’re better than we’ve shown we are.”

Hill and her teammates rebounded from the tournament with a victory over Pilot Grove on Monday __-__ in what was only their second home game so far this season. On Tuesday, Fayette will play its first-ever game in the new Central State 8 Conference at home against a struggling New Bloomfield team.