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1,000 and Counting! Deanna Biancardi Reaches Basketball Milestone

1,000 and Counting! Deanna Biancardi Reaches Basketball Milestone

With the seconds furiously ticking off the clock in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s game against Dobbs Ferry, Eastchester senior Deanna Biancardi collected the ball near the three-point line, slashed to the hoop, and floated a layup off the glass and through the basket, whipping the Eagles crowd into a frenzy. 

The bleachers quickly emptied as the Eagles’ student section poured out of the stands to celebrate Biancardi’s historic bucket and subsequent admittance into one of Eastchester Athletics’ most exclusive groups.

Deanna Biancardi scores her 1,000th career point

Biancardi’s shot—which went through the net with just 35 seconds left to play—accounted for her 1,000th and 1,001st career varsity points, putting her in elite company among Eastchester basketball’s all-time greats, a crowning achievement for the three-sport athlete who has been a mainstay on the court for the Eagles since she was called up to the varsity level as an eighth grader five years ago. 

The senior captain came into the tilt against Dobbs Ferry just 10 points shy of the milestone and said that the euphoric rush in the moments after she sunk the decisive shot was undeniable. 

“It felt incredible, and watching that shot go through the net induced mixed emotions: relief, considering there were only 35 seconds left in the game, but also pure excitement that I did it,” she said. “The celebration was a bit hectic, so it all felt so surreal to me. But it was truly an indescribable feeling that I can’t put into words.”

Biancardi said she recalled watching Eastchester’s last 1,000-point scorer, Cassidy Mitchell, reach the plateau in 2017, hoping that, one day, she would get the chance to celebrate that same moment with her teammates and classmates. 

“When I was in the fourth grade, I actually had the opportunity to watch our last female basketball player reach 1,000 points because my older sister was on the team,” said Biancardi. “Since then, it has been one of my biggest dreams, and I was aware that it might be reachable because I got pulled up to varsity as an 8th grader. But it wasn’t until this year, about halfway through the season, when I started getting into a consistent groove and realized 1,000 points was definitely achievable.”

Achievable and easy are two different things, Biancardi noted, as she said the final push towards the summit brought with it a tremendous amount of internal pressure. Even though she knew she would have more chances after Tuesday to reach the 1,000-point mark, upcoming road games against Rye and Hastings meant that Tuesday’s game was her last chance to score the historic bucket on her home court.

“I think there was definitely a lot of extra pressure. Word had started to spread that I was close, and I knew there would be a rowdy crowd of classmates, friends and family there to support me and the team,” said Biancardi. “So, the timing was fortunate, but I knew I had to stay focused and just play my game and not overthink it. I trusted my team would support me and that my determination would pay off.”

Biancardi noted that while the moment was a special one, the opportunity to share it with her friends and teammates added to the excitement, serving as an indelible experience that prompted her to think about her time in the program.

“It is amazing and an honor to join the small group of players who have hit this mark at Eastchester,” she said. “This has been one of my biggest goals since I was a little girl, practicing in my driveway, and I am fortunate enough to have had the people in my life supporting me during the journey. 

“[For me], this moment will be right at the top because of the hard work and dedication that it took to get here,” she added. “But what I will cherish the most are the bonds I’ve built with my teammates and the experience of competing at the varsity level for the past five years. This specific experience has truly taught me that dreams do come true if you persevere and always give it your best.”

Deanna Biancardi and her teammates celebrate the senior's 1,000th career point.

 

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