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JACKSON TWP — Seneca Valley girls basketball star Olivia West ended her career as part of a very exclusive group.
When she reached 1,000 points for her career, she joined Marlesse Schlott Hames as the only players in program history to accomplish the feat.
"It was a goal I had since my freshman year," said West, a guard/forward who averaged 18 points and 6.4 rebounds for the Raiders this season. "It's a huge accomplishment and I'm proud that I was able to achieve it."
The milestone created a bittersweet moment for West. She reached 1,000 points on a basket with just 13 seconds left in SV's 65-48 WPIAL playoff loss to North Allegheny last month.
Immediately following the field goal, NA coach Spencer Stefko called a timeout so West could be recognized on the court before the game concluded.
"It was tough losing in the first round," West said. "It's been (16 years) since we've won a playoff game and we all wanted to get it done. But getting that mark and Coach Stefko calling that timeout, it was amazing."
West's 1,000 points are second to Hames' 1,062 on SV's all-time list.
West was a forward during her first two years on SV's varsity team, settling in as a starter her sophomore season. But when point guard Jess Bickart was lost for the 2020-21 campaign, West was the clear choice to take over the position, which cut down on her scoring opportunities, though she still led the team with 15.3 points per game.
Her quest for 1,000 points was put on the back burner.
"It wasn't my top goal," she said. "I had priorities to put in front of it, had to be a team leader."
With Bickart's return this season, West was able to play mostly at forward, her natural fit.
"At the start of the season, I calculated how many points I needed. It was going to be tough, but I kept pushing myself to get there. I was doubling down on my goal."
West was able to balance her individual motivation and doing what was best for the team.
"She wanted to get better for her teammates," said SV coach Dorothea Epps. "Her parents raised her to be unselfish. If she wasn't such a team player, she would have reached 1,000 points long before she did."
West's eagerness to involve her teammates was evident in the waning moments of her high school career. In the game against NA, she rebounded a Tiger miss with under 25 seconds left and initially looked to pass the ball before going coast to coast to score the historic basket.
Her time at point guard, coupled with her improved play in the frontcourt, has given West invaluable experience. Her progression has also been spurred by her involvement with Slamm, an AAU team.
"She had never played inside with her back to the basket," Epps said. "Now she's able to go up against players in the paint, post up, and can also shoot from the outside."
West will play collegiately at Columbus State University, a Division II program in Georgia, where she will play forward.
"I'm super-pumped," she said. "It's going to be a new chapter in my life and will be challenging, but also a great learning experience."
