Thunder star scores 1,000th point

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Mara Falahee couldn’t have asked for a more perfect way to spend her 18th birthday.

In front of her family and friends, The Out-of-Door Academy senior forward took the court Dec. 9, as she and her teammates and prepared to battle their biggest rival.

At the end of the night, Falahee had helped lead the Lady Thunder to a 43-9 victory over St. Stephen’s.

And, as if that weren’t enough of a present, Falahee also scored her 1,000th career point on a three-pointer. Falahee, who was three points away from the milestone heading into the game, became the first ODA basketball player to reach the milestone.

“It worked out nice,” Falahee said. “My friends were there for support, which really meant a lot to me. It just means a lot. We’ve definitely gone through a building process, and this has kind of been my goal ever since I started playing varsity.”

Growing up in Michigan, Falahee always had a ball in her hands. Basketball was popular in the state at the time, so she began shooting hoops with her neighbors when she was in kindergarten. It didn’t take long for Falahee’s parents to sign her up for basketball.

She was hooked immediately.

Throughout her life, Falahee played a number of other sports, including softball, volleyball and swimming, but she’s always gravitated back to basketball.

“I love the competition of it,” Falahee said. “You can kind of take control and find ways to make things work. It’s a mind game. I don’t think there’s any (better) feeling that hearing the ball swish through the hoop.

“Sport to me are like an outlet for stress,” Falahee said. “I always make time for it. If I have to study for a quiz or homework to do … I can go out and shoot and not think about it. I just love to play.”

Falahee continued playing youth basketball before joining the ODA JV squad as a seventh-grader. Midway through the season, Falahee was called up to the varsity squad just in time for the district tournament. Falahee scored about 30 points while playing varsity as a seventh-grader, and she has surpassed that total every year since. Last year, Falahee scored roughly 250 of the Lady Thunder’s total points.

“When Christine LaFrance and my sister, Lauren, were here, they helped me get better,” Falahee said. “I couldn’t have reached this goal without them in the background. I’ve grown so much, and having them in the back scene made it all happen.”

Now with one monumental milestone to her name, Falahee is hoping to continue playing at the next level. Falahee already has garnered interest from Colorado College and Claremont.

But for now, Falahee’s main focus is on trying to lead the Lady Thunder to a district championship and
beyond — a feat the team hasn’t achieved since Falahee was a freshman.

“That would be the greatest accomplishment,” Falahee said. “Ever since (my sister) graduated two years ago, it’s been a rebuilding process, and that would just kind of help a lot.”

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].