HUNTER — Last year, Northern Cass’ Halle Crockett became the school's leading scorer in girls basketball history. Since this season began, the Jaguars’ sole senior has only added to her already established legacy as one of the best to ever play at the school.
The last week and change, though, has been especially fruitful for Crockett.
In the Jaguars’ 86-55 win over Lisbon on Jan. 31, Crockett surpassed the 2,000-point mark in her career. In the process, she also broke the single-season scoring record. Like several previous records at the school, it was previously held by Ashley King.
Crockett followed that performance up on Saturday, Feb.4, as she broke the Northern Cass single-game scoring record for her third time with a 52-point game. Crockett originally broke the single-game record as a sophomore with a 43-point game. She broke that record with a 44-point performance earlier this year.
“It has been amazing achieving these goals, I am very grateful,” Crockett said. “It was great to have such a supportive community behind me on these special nights.”
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Crockett added that she knew the goals she has achieved were attainable but knew the task of attaining them wouldn’t be easy.
“I envisioned these possibilities for sure, but I knew it would be a challenge,” she said. “I give a lot of credit to my teammates, especially my sister (Haidyn) for the accomplishments I have had this year.”
By the time she graduates, Crockett will likely end up with nine school records to her name between season and career records. Northern Cass coach D.C. Lucas has been there to witness those records going all the way back to when he coached Crockett as a seventh grader on the Jaguars’ C-squad.
This season, Lucas said, has been something special to watch.
“It’s incredible what she has been doing,” Lucas said. “Just watching what she has been able to do this year has been impressive. Looking at her shot chart, she has been creating a lot of her shots in the paint, crashing the boards and the way she’s been cutting and moving. You can tell the game has slowed down for her quite a bit just this year.”
In addition to collecting points, Crockett has also contributed to the game as an all-around player.
“She has just been a constant team player,” he said. “Her assists are up, her rebounding is up, everything is up. Being a lone senior, she has been a great on the court and off the court mentor. We’re still a very young team and she has been a very great mentor in both facets.”
In addition to being a mentor for her younger teammates, Lucas added that Crockett has truly stepped into and embraced her role as the Jaguars’ only senior.
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“She’s just a great kid on and off the court. She has just been a great mentor to these kids,” he said. “There are times where us coaches are a little late to practice because we’re getting off of work and stuff like that and she’s leading practice for us, taking care of the kids and making sure they’re in the right spots and making sure they’re doing the right things. It’s kind of a motherly approach and she has just embraced it which I think is just fantastic. She is just having an incredible season which we’re all proud to see.”
While Crockett said that adding to her record-breaking career “means a lot,” when she leaves for the University of Jamestown this fall, she hopes what she leaves behind is more than her name in the Northern Cass record books.
“Northern Cass basketball has truly developed me as a person and leader out on the floor,” she said. “I want to be remembered as an athlete the younger kids could look up to because of the hard work and love I have for the game. I hope I have set that example here to create a culture where athletes will be excited to play at Northern Cass. I have had great coaches, teammates, and support over the last four years, so a big thank you to them.”
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