This winter heated up after the varsity girls basketball team hit the courts and senior Alex Cook made her 1,000th point. With spring in the horizon, the Crusaders say goodbye to their lone senior but hello to the postseason.

Cook made history on February 4, when she became the seventh basketball player ever in St. Dominic’s history to score 1,000 points. Heading into the team’s game against rival school Duchesne, Cook was four points shy of hitting the milestone. After scoring two points in the first half, Cook drew a foul and was given two free throws. The pressure was on, but she remained cool and calm and sank the shots with ease, hitting the 1,000 point mark. Her teammates swarmed her and the Crusader fans went wild. Cook describes the monumental achievement as a tribute to her hours spent in the offseason working toward becoming a better player.

“I think it was just a little bit overwhelming because it was just like the culmination of all my hard work and I feel like it finally paid off,” said Cook.

As the only senior on the girls varsity basketball team, Cook celebrated her senior night on Tuesday, February 23. Although the team took a tough 51-35 loss to St. Joseph’s Academy, Cook scored an impressive 17 points, nearly half of the team’s total points. Cook leaves St. Dominic holding three school records and placing fourth in all-time career scoring. Her basketball days aren’t over yet, however. Cook is playing basketball at Rockhurst University for the next four years. As she reflects on her four years of playing for St. Dominic, she is grateful for the memories.

“These have probably been the best, most fun four years of basketball in my life. I love my teammates and I love Coach Menke,” said Cook.

As they move into districts on March 1 at St. Dominic with a record of 15-9, the Lady Crusaders’ top scorers include Cook with an average of 18 points a game, sophomore Ella Kasubke with six points and sophomore Madison Miller and junior Madeline Bauer who are at almost six points per game. Bauer and Coach Jeff Menke are confident in the team’s ability to move forward in the playoffs.

“I think we have a really good chance this year. We’ve really stepped it up from where we were at the beginning and we’ve continued to push each other and we have figured out what we are capable of,” said Bauer.

“I feel very confident. I know we’ll probably run into St. Charles in the district final. They are a very good team but I feel that we can make a deep run into the playoffs this year,” said Coach Menke.

Congrats to Alex Cook for an outstanding senior season and good luck to the Crusaders in the postseason!