Wammes drives to 1,000 for SJCC
St. Joseph Central Catholic coach Mallory Holliday wants all five players to be offensive threats.
Crimson Streaks senior Miranda Wammes basically ensures Holliday's wish.
Wammes surpassed 1,000 career points Saturday in an 82-63 victory over St. Mary Central Catholic in the Sandusky Bay Conference River Division.
"I don't go in wanting to score," she said. "It just happens. With my quickness I can score. It's a balance, but I don't really think about scoring. One-thousand is really cool, but a pass to a teammate stands out.
"That's when I'm excited. That's my job. Feed them. I didn't plan on 1,000. My job as the point guard is to get my teammates the ball. It's an honor. I couldn't have done it without my teammates."
Wammes averages 12.7 points and 5.9 assists for SJCC (14-2, 6-0). She found Kimmie Burns with a cross-court pass that resulted in a free throw for a 54-45 lead in the third quarter.
Wammes' father, Randy, was more excited about the pass than the off-balance bucket she dropped in while drawing a foul for 1,000 in the second quarter.
"He tells me assists are worth more than points," she said. "He gets hyped up with an awesome pass. He's my biggest supporter. He's the reason I love the game so much. That's our thing (to share).
"He coached the seniors from the fourth grade. He's part of the reason we play so well together and are fundamentally stable. He's taught us all we know coaching us so long. I'm glad to share this with him."
Wammes coached the group for five years prior to high school. He played 1-on-1 with his daughter and was the recipient as she honed her outlet passes.
"I've coached (Miranda) since the second grade," Randy said. "The key to basketball is teamwork. Basketball is all about intensity every moment. That's the focus the entire game. There's always a reaction.
"The thing Miranda has is a love for the sport and it shows. I like great basketball. I love to see great passes and the girls learn. Assists mean as much as scoring."
Wammes knew she was 11 points shy of 1,000 before the game. Each of her first 11 points came courtesy of a journey to the rim.
"Everybody tells you not to think about it," she said. "I was nervous and threw a few bad passes early. After I got in the swing of things, it went away and I just played."
Wammes missed the free throw after her milestone bucket, but canned a 3-pointer a short time later. She finished with 32 points.
"It's just a relief after you get it," she said. "It's calming. It gives you confidence."
Wammes scored 11 points in the third quarter. Randy was more excited with an assist to Tristan Reineck early in the fourth.
"She does a nice job running the offense and when she pushes, she puts teammates in position to score," Holliday said. "We know she can attack and score. Her passing has improved so much the last four years.
"It's exciting to see how she helps her teammates score. That's what makes her such a big threat. Knowing when to set up the offense or push. You try to stop her attacking and if you do, she'll get the assist."
SJCC's Adrienne Wehring, who greeted Wammes with a hug immediately following her layup in the second quarter, scored the 1,000th point of her career in the season opener. Five Crimson Streaks have reached 1,000 points.
"We work so well together," Wammes said. "We've been playing together and we have a bond when it comes to basketball. I'm really happy we were both able to achieve it."
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