Franklin’s Kourtney Kaplan reaches 1,000-point mark in win over Wilton-Lyndeborough

Sophomore Kourtney Kaplan (12) is surrounded by teammates, coaches and family after scoring her 1,000th career point on Monday night against Wilton-Lyndeborough at the new Franklin High School gymnasium. Kaplan needed 18 points to reach 1,000 and ended up with 26 for the night in a 60-25 victory.

Sophomore Kourtney Kaplan (12) is surrounded by teammates, coaches and family after scoring her 1,000th career point on Monday night against Wilton-Lyndeborough at the new Franklin High School gymnasium. Kaplan needed 18 points to reach 1,000 and ended up with 26 for the night in a 60-25 victory. GEOFF FORESTER / Monitor staff photos

Sophomore Kourtney Kaplan (12) gets a hug after scoring her 1,000th point on Monday night against Wilton-Lyndeborough at the new Franklin High School gymnasium.

Sophomore Kourtney Kaplan (12) gets a hug after scoring her 1,000th point on Monday night against Wilton-Lyndeborough at the new Franklin High School gymnasium. GEOFF FORESTER / Monitor staff

Sophomore Kourtney Kaplan (12) does a ball fake as she gets ready to shoot the 3-pointer to score her 1,000th point on Monday night against Wilton-Lyndeborough.

Sophomore Kourtney Kaplan (12) does a ball fake as she gets ready to shoot the 3-pointer to score her 1,000th point on Monday night against Wilton-Lyndeborough. GEOFF FORESTER / Monitor staff

Kaplan (12) was double-teamed most of the night, drawing a foul in this first-half instance.

Kaplan (12) was double-teamed most of the night, drawing a foul in this first-half instance.

By ALEXANDER RAPP

Monitor staff

Published: 01-14-2025 2:57 PM

Modified: 01-14-2025 10:28 PM


Sophomore Kourtney Kaplan ran upcourt on the fast break, found her spot on the right edge of the perimeter, pump-faked to fool the defender and elevated to swish the 3-pointer and score her 18th point of the game.

The crowd erupted, confetti flew, streamers were thrown from all sides and the gym became a party because it was Kaplan’s 1,000th career point, the highlight of Monday’s 60-25 win over Wilton-Lyndeborough.

“I’ve worked really hard. I’ve worked outside, shot the ball. My dad would bring me down to Odell (Park) and he would bring me places and he got me into AAU in sixth grade,” said Kaplan. “I was nervous but when I hit it, everything, the nerves, went away.”

Franklin (7-2) hosted the Warriors (4-3) for a special night of basketball on Monday. Kaplan, who has played for Franklin’s varsity team since eighth grade, entered the game just shy of the legendary 1,000-point mark.

Kaplan became the 15th player in Franklin’s history to reach this mark, the fifth girl since Nicole Parenteau became the fourth in 2001 and the first player to do so in the recently renovated home gym.

“This is what we need to get life back into this school, in this gym. It gave life back to our community at the same time, but Kourtney has worked so hard,” said Dan Sylvester, the current athletic director and Franklin alum who reached 1,000 points in 1983.

Very few players have the talent and consistency to reach this high-scoring mark, and even fewer accomplish it before their senior year, which made Kaplan’s feat all the more impressive considering she still has two years left to play on the Golden Tornadoes’ court.

The girls got off to a strong start on Monday, but Kaplan missed on her first few shots as the crowd muttered, gasped and sighed whenever the ball bounced out of the rim. She slowly found her rhythm halfway through the quarter, getting a steal at the top of the key to score her first two points and everyone cheered.

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Kaplan would go on to score five more points in the first and was creeping closer and closer to the milestone mark. Everyone in the packed gym was there to see her get to the milestone mark, which was somewhat nerve-inducing but equally as energizing for her.

Kaplan had to fight for every point, as the Warriors double-teamed her on defense and made sure the paint was crowded when she drove in. However, this also led to Kaplan earning seven free throws in the second quarter, missing only one. She added another two points from a layup, reaching 15 for the night. The expectant crowd, and Kaplan, would have to deal with the excitement of the moment over halftime.

In the first possession of the second half, she did it. Kaplan’s 3-pointer flew in the air for what felt like forever, and the crowd’s volume turned up as it did.

“We came out when there was like two minutes left. I asked Lily (Cornell) to fake it, like, we’re gonna pretend to set a screen, and I would come off of it and shoot, so that’s what we did, so I knew I was going to shoot,” Kaplan said. “I just was emotional. I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, this actually is happening.’ I was in shock and everyone barreling up on me, I was so excited, and I felt good. It means a lot, all these people coming out just to support me and support my team. It’s amazing.”

Kaplan was presented with beads from each one of her teammates, a victory lap with the Golden Tornado mascot, a banner of her achievement, a basketball with “1,000” painted on it presented by Nicole Parenteau, the unveiling of her name on the 1,000-point banner in the gym and the applause of everyone.

“Very proud, very proud. This is, I think, the fifth student-athlete under my tutelage as AD to get 1,000 points. And, listen, I had my heyday way back over 40 years ago now. So I’m very, very excited that kids that I’m the AD for can get up there,” said Sylvester.

Kaplan’s 26-point, four-steal, three-assist, three-rebound and one-block performance capped off a great day for the whole team. Sophomore center Lily Cornell followed closely with 21 points for the Tornadoes.

It was especially sweet for the Franklin girls, led by new head coach Catherine Robbins, because they were knocked out of the playoffs by Wilton-Lyndeborough last year. On Monday they proved their immense quality.

“It’s fantastic, and I just told the girls in more ways than just one. Obviously, Kourtney got her 1,000 points, which was just incredible. It’s a long time coming. She’s put in the work to get there,” Robbins said. “But this night was also a little revenge game for us. Wilton-Lyndeborough knocked us out of the playoffs last year, so it felt really, really good to play that quality of basketball against them.”

Alexander Rapp can be reached at arapp@cmonitor.com.