Averie Steverson showcased why she’s one of the top female athletes in the area during one play on Tuesday night. The Merced High junior blocked a shot in the key on defense and then sprinted down court, received a pass and went up for a shot over an East Union defender to score a basket midway through the first quarter.

 

That basket just happened to surpass 1,000 career points for Steverson. After scoring the basket, the game was paused as her teammates stormed the court to celebrate the milestone with the Bears star. Steverson entered Tuesday’s game with 999 career points and needed just one basket to become the first Merced player since Lexi Thompson topped 1,000 career points in 2015.

 

Despite needing just one point, Steverson said she was nervous and wondered what if she didn’t score the whole game. Especially with a lot of friends and family who came out to celebrate her achievement. “When I scored that basket, all the anxiety, all the nerves left, and then it was just playing basketball from there.”

 

Steverson would have preferred the milestone came in a victory as the Bears (8-3) lost a hard-fought 53-50 game against East Union. The Bears stormed back from a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 50-50 in the final minute, but the Lancers were able to pull out the victory with clutch free throws from Shebra Rezaye down the stretch.

Steverson led the Bears with 12 points, but that first basket will forever be etched in her memory. “It’s a really big milestone,” Steverson said. “It's not just a me thing. My teammates have helped me out a lot through this journey, they've pushed me, and they've led with so many assists. I’m grateful for them.”

 

It was a special moment for Merced coach Willie Steverson, who had a front row view from the bench to watch his daughter make history. “It felt really good,” Wilile Steverson said. “I’m so proud of her. She comes out and competes like no other. Years prior, she had to be that person who scores the basket for us. This year, maybe not so much. I’m just happy that she’s out there competing and doing what she loves to do.”

 

The moment was made even more special that it happened on Clemons Court in front of so many family and friends. Steverson was presented with flowers, signs and balloons after the game. “She’s a good kid,” Willie Steverson said. “She handles business. She has straight A’s, she’s playing multiple sports at a time every single season and she’s respectful. Nobody really has anything bad to say about her so her mom and I are really happy.”

Averie Steverson was also thankful to see so many familiar faces up in the stands to share her moment. “It meant a lot to me knowing I have such a big support system,” she said. “Without all of them, I couldn't have done this.”

 

While the spotlight was on Steverson on Tuesday night, the Bears have shown marked improvement this season. Even after the loss to East Union, Merced stands at 8-3 this season. Steverson is averaging over 16 points and close to 10 rebounds per game. She’s got a lot of help with teammates like Samantha Barragan, Amiya Brown, Antonia Lejarde and Aleena Trevino. 

 

“I think this is the best team that we've had in a few years,” Averie Steverson said. “I feel like we just need to work on our chemistry with each other, because there's a lot of young girls or girls who are coming  back from injuries. So I feel like once we get our chemistry down, we’re going to be a good team.”

Shawn Jansen is the MUHSD Program Manager Digital Media. He can be reached at Sjansen@muhsd.org.