Boca Raton's Courtney Lowe, younger cousin of Coco Gauff, hits basketball career milestone
Coco Gauff never could have expected to be overshadowed by one of her close relatives in the days leading to the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam event since the Delray Beach native won the U.S. Open.
But Coco has.
Courtney Lowe, the lefty small forward for Boca Raton High School, made history Thursday night in a road game, coincidentally, in Delray Beach, as she scored her 1,000th career point as the Bobcats blew out powerhouse Atlantic High 64-38.
With 2:30 remaining and Boca Raton up by more than 20, Lowe sat on 999 points. Her relatives, including Coco’s grandmother and Coco’s brother, shouted from the stands, informing her she needed a single point for the milestone.
Lowe took a pass behind the top of the key and buried a 3-pointer as the Boca Raton rooting section exploded as she soared to 1,002. Cameron Gauff, Coco’s youngest brother, waved the “1,000-point” sign while hopping.
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The next possession, Lowe hit another 3-pointer and finished with 22 points — leaving her with 1,005. She drilled five 3s on the night as Boca Raton High moved to 10-5.
“It’s definitely an accomplishment — I’ll be remembered at Boca High now," said Lowe. “(Coco) will definitely be proud. She might even post my picture on her Instagram."
Just a year apart, Lowe and Coco, 19, grew up together in Palm Beach County and she says they are a “close-knit" family. Coco had a sleepover with Lowe on Christmas night. However, Lowe doesn’t play tennis and Coco doesn’t play basketball. Gauff and her parents are in Australia preparing for Sunday’s start to the Aussie Open.
“I’m hoping she does win," Lowe said. “I’m confident she will."
Yvonne Lee Odom, Coco’s grandmother, and Lowe’s grandmother, Brenda Williams, are sisters and relished the moment on-court after the win. “I guess greatness runs in the family," Odom said.
Boca Raton coach Rod Johnson was thrilled. too. for Lowe, a senior. “She was 18 (17) points away," Johnson said. “I told her it’s a great goal but we’re not going to force it. We’ll get her 1000th within the team’s flow, and that’s what she did."
Lowe is expecting to play college basketball, maybe Division I, but will focus on campus visits after the season. “She’s a great player and studentwise, she gets all A’s in school," Johnson said. “She’s my smartest player on the court and she doesn’t give up, doesn’t quit."
After the game, Lowe posed with the “1,000-point” poster and her teammates seemed just as excited as she was. But Lowe indicated the most important thing is repeating as district champions.
“It’s definitely exciting," Lowe said. “I’ve been putting in work since freshman year. It’s an exciting experience. But it doesn’t stop. We have seven more games, then the postseason."
The Bobcats had been in a dry spell before hammering Atlantic, (10-2), which had just one defeat coming into the contest.
The Bobcats were relentless after a close first quarter as point guard Tatyana Campise Pinkney had 14 points including back-to-back 3s in the fourth quarter. Sienna Crooks was rugged inside and finished with 10 points and Vanessa Moore drained consecutive 3s in the third quarter when the game got out of hand.
“It’s definitely a big win," Lowe said. “We’d been on a losing streak. This brought our team closer together. Everybody produced today and it’s usually not like that."
By early in the third quarter, Boca Raton was already up by 21. “I’m not surprised," Johnson said. “This is what we’re made of. We’re prepared for games like this and we’ll be prepared for the postseason."
Atlantic will try to bounce back. It had scored more than 55 points in all but one game this season. The Eagles got a huge outing from Myrella Guerra, who drained five 3-pointers and finished with 17. But Elanie Sullard was held to 11 points — 7 below her average.
This was a night for Boca and Lowe, who outdid herself on the turf of her famous cousin. Lowe has played basketball since she was 7. “It allows me to express myself," Lowe said. “My coaches aren’t really strict. They let us play and have fun."
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Boca Raton's Courtney Lowe, cousin of Coco Gauff, hits basketball milestone
