SE's Wheeler, Skeens hit 1,000 in win over Mustangs

• SE's Audrie Wheeler and Ella Skeens both scored their 1,000th career points in a win over Westfall.
• The Panthers beat Westfall 55-35 at home, leading 25-3 after the first quarter and 40-8 at halftime.
• Wheeler ended the night with 18 points and 5 steals while Skeens had 17 points and 5 assists.

CHILLICOTHE - When the sun rose Thursday morning, Southeastern's girls basketball program boasted eight 1,000 point club members.

When it had set, that number had grown to 10.

In a 55-35 win over Westfall in front of a home crowd, Panthers' senior Audrie Wheeler and junior Ella Skeens became the first pair of teammates in Scioto Valley Conference history to notch their 1,000th career points in the same contest.

"It's honestly the biggest accomplishment I've had in my four years here at Southeastern," Wheeler said. "I pushed my freshman year and (created) a goal to reach 1,000. I guess this is a dream come true."

Both of Skeens' parents also joined the 1,000 point club during their four-year basketball careers. She can now put herself in that classification.

"For me, to get my 1,000th point, both of my parents and my aunt did the same," Skeens said. "So I guess I've lived up to it. But the real thing is, I want to win. (Audrie) and I could score two points in a game and I don't think either one of us care. We just want to win."

Winning wasn't hard to come by Thursday evening as the Panthers (1-1, 1-0 SVC) started their defense of last year's conference title. Southeastern led 25-3 after the first quarter and 40-8 at halftime, cruising to a rout.

That was a welcome sight for coach Mike Adams after a 49-22 loss to Wheelersburg this past Saturday.

"We struggled against Wheelersburg and they did some things to us we couldn't handle," Adams said. "But we came out with a better start tonight and I was very proud of the killer instinct we came out with. I couldn't be happier with these girls right now."

Coming into the contest sitting at 998 career points, Wheeler wasted no time in clearing the hurdle.

Just 10 seconds into the game, she was fouled on a three-point attempt. She stepped to the line, buried each of her three awarded shots and etched her name in the Panthers' history books in the process.

Skeens entered Thursday's action with 993 points. She punched her ticket to the 1,000 point club with 56.2 remaining in the first. She hit a triple from the left elbow to give the Panthers a 25-3 lead and a quick break in the action as she delivered the ball to her parents in the stands.

"I couldn't be more proud of either one of them," Adams said of his two team leaders. "I told them after the game that they both hit number 1,000 but they're going to be way up that banner when it's all said and done. Both are so very special to our program. They're leaders and they're captains. And how they practice in practice is how our practices go. I put a lot of pressure on them but they always step up."

Wheeler ended the night with a game-high 18 points alongside five rebounds, five steals and two assists. Skeens finished with 17 points, four rebounds, three steals and five assists. Skylar Hice was the Panther's next leading scorer with six points, accompanied by six boards.

Marcy Dudgeon led the Mustangs (0-3, 0-1 SVC) with 10 points and eight rebounds while Madison Staten added 10 points to the mix.

Now with 1,016 career points for Wheeler and 1,010 for Skeens, the duo can focus on their team's future; one they hope includes a second consecutive conference crown and a lengthy postseason run.

"This isn't a one person thing," Skeens said. "This is a team thing. We have to help each other out. As a team, I think we can accomplish bigger things."

Wheeler agreed.

"We have a target on our back," Wheeler said. "It makes us get ready for this season. We have to push each other to the max."

dwebb@chillicothegazette.com

Twitter: @dw1509

Stat Book

Westfall: 3-5-6-21 — 35

Southeastern: 25-15-12-3 — 55

Westfall: 14-37 FG, 4-10 FT, 3-9 3pt. (Dudgeon 3), 23 rebounds (Dudgeon 8), 16 turnovers, 5 Assists (Park 3). Scoring: Dudgeon 3 1-2 10, Staten 4 2-2 10, Robinson 3 0-2 6, Blue 2 0-0 4, Kitchen 1 0-0 2, Park 1 0-0 2, Terry 0 1-2 1.

Southeastern: 21-52 FG, 11-16 FT, 2-4 3pt. (Wheeler 1, E. Skeens 1), 29 rebounds (Hice 6), 0 turnovers, 9 Assists (E. Skeens 5). Scoring: Wheeler 6 5-5 18, E. Skeens 6 4-5 17, Hice 2 2-5 6, M. Mitten 2 0-1 4, Collins 2 0-0 4, Morris 1 0-0 2, Evans 1 0-0 2, L. Skeens 1 0-0 2.