Senior leader and point guard MaKiyah Matthews eclipsed 1,000 career points in her last game of her career for Richmond Hill High School. While the team did not get the victory that they had hoped for, it was a big moment for the dynamic playmaker.

“Ever since I was a little girl, it has always been a dream of mine to score 1,000 career points,” Matthews said. “When I was put on varsity as a freshman, I knew I had a chance at achieving my dream, and I went out to make it happen.”

After a tough outing against Camden County, who held Matthews to only four points in the evening, Matthews would need just one point in the game against Grayson to get over 1,000, and she did so by scoring 17 points.

“This was definitely a bumpy road to success,” Matthews said. “I thank my coaches and my mother for never giving up on me. Coach (Sarah) Jones earned 1,000 points in her high school career, and I have always looked up to her in that aspect. She was always there to tell me ‘you got this’ and that meant a lot.”

“We are extremely proud of MaKiyah for this accomplishment,” head girls’ basketball coach Sarah Jones said. “She has put in a ton of time in getting extra shots and getting better each year. We are excited to continue to watch her grow and get better at the next level.”

As Matthews and the rest of the Lady Wildcats come off of a season-ending loss to the Grayson Lady Rams--the number one team in the state--she is able to look back on her career as a positive reflection.

“I feel as though my high school career as a whole was one of the best experiences that I could receive,” Matthews said. “I was faced with so many challenges that only bettered me as a player and helped to shape me into the player that I am now. I was blessed to be part of such an incredible hard-working team and family for all four years of high school.”

Speaking of family, Matthews’ mom attended each one of her games--home or away--and always showed great support for both her daughter and her teammates for how they played, win or loss.

“I am so proud of her for achieving her goal,” Dr. Heather Matthews said. “This has been a goal of hers since she started high school. She has faced a lot of adversity in her career, but I am proud she completed her goal. She scored 1,000, but she is worth a million to me.”

Now that the season has ended for Matthews, she will begin to turn her attention to playing at the collegiate level. She currently holds two offers from Penn State Hazleton and the University of Antelope Valley in California, and is talking to numerous other coaches to decide where she will take her talents next.