Four midstate girls’ basketball players hit the weekend within shouting distance of crashing the 1,000-point plateau.
Here’s the list, including upcoming schedules and when they might hit the milestone …
Megan Gingrich, senior, Cocalico — 962 points
Friday @ Lebanon
Monday @ Ephrata
Wednesday vs. Solanco
* Gingrich is averaging 16 points per game and needs 38 for the milestone. If she plays well Friday at Lebanon — in a game the Cedars need to clinch the L-L Section 2 championship — Monday at Ephrata isn’t out of the question. And that's a huge backyard rivalry game.
Briana Betz-White, senior, Trinity — 942 points
Friday @ Palmyra
Monday vs. Susquehanna Township
* Betz-White has just two regular-season games to score 58 points, which is 29 per game. Not out of the question, certainly, but assuming the Shamrocks advance to the District 3-AAA playoffs, the safe bet is that she’ll eclipse 1,000 in Trinity’s first-round game.
Cheyenne Hassler, senior, Elco — 942 points
Friday vs. Northern Lebanon
Monday vs. Manheim Central
Wednesday @ Donegal
* Like Betz-White, Hassler also needs 58 points, but she has three regular-season games to go. And they’re all playoff-like games for the Raiders, who are tied with Donegal and Lampeter-Strasburg for first place in L-L Section 3. If Elco finishes first or second in the section, the Raiders would get a league playoff game, plus likely a District 3-AAA playoff game, giving Hassler as many as five more games to get 58 points.
Victoria Varner, junior, Juniata — 917 points
* The only midstate junior who should join the grand club this season, Varner needs 83 points, but has five regular-season games to go before the Tri-Valley League and District 6 playoffs. So if she stays on her current pace of 17 points per game, she’ll join the club in one of these games:
Friday vs. Line Mountain
Feb. 4 vs. Newport
Feb. 5 vs. Bald Eagle Area
Feb. 7 vs. Millersburg
Feb. 11 vs. Upper Dauphin