Alli Zajac's 1,000 points milestone a team effort for Tecumseh girls basketball
TECUMSEH — With game-sealing free throws last Tuesday that snapped the Chelsea girls basketball program's 32-game SEC White win streak, Tecumseh's Alli Zajac made history of her won.
Those two free throws gave her 1,000 and 1,001 career points, becoming only the second Tecumseh girl to ever reach the milestone, joining Abbie McDowell.
Immediately following Tuesday's win, Zajac didn't know those two free throws put her across the threshold. The only significance those free throws had for Zajac was to seal the rivalry win that has eluded the program since 2016.
"It was a big step in my career," Zajac said. "But I couldn't have done it without my teammates. They've helped out tremendously."
Zajac's milestone really does feel like a team achievement as she's been a part of the program well before she wore the uniform.
With her mom, Kristy, leading the program since 2017, Alli along with her sisters Addi, who is a freshman this season and Avery, who is in middle school but is on the bench for every game, have grown up in the program.
One of those teammates alongside Zajac since joining the program as a freshmen and years before as well is Ashlyn Moorehead.
Moorehead has been on the other end of the bulk of those 1,000 points and counting, dishing out assists to Zajac and a number of other Tecumseh student-athletes.
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"We've been playing together since probably fifth grade," Moorehead said. "We have a really good connection on the floor and that helps a lot. We always know where each other is at."
The two have played countless minutes together from elementary school, middle school and high school along with AAU as well.
It certainly doesn't hurt your points total when your best friend is the one dishing out the assists.
"She's pretty much my sister," Zajac said. "We spend every waking moment together. We go to the gym in the morning and shoot together, we have such a strong connection and I'm so grateful to have her."
Coach Zajac is grateful to have the pair together on the floor as the two helped propel Tecumseh to new heights this season.
"(Moorehead) is a pass first point guard and you don't see that very often these days," she said. "She loves to get those assists and I looked up the assist record the other day. She does a great job making the right reads and always making the extra pass."
Now Tecumseh has finally beaten Chelsea and Alli has surpassed 1,000 points, what's next for the is group and their special season?
They'll face Chelsea again with a target on their back and Alli has a new target as well.
The junior is less than 100 points for McDowell's school record of 1,110. It's obtainable this season, but not at the forefront of Zajac's mind.
"She texted me the other night to go break her school record," Alli said. "She's always there for me and is such a great role model.
"I just want to keep winning."
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Alli Zajac's 1,000 points a team achievement for Tecumseh girls
