Northwood Temple stat-sheet filler Kenny Vera hits 1,000-point milestone with a bang
It was an eventful night for Northwood Temple (9-4, 4-0 NCISAA Sandhills), pulling away from Fayetteville Christian (4-6, 1-3) in the second half 68-55.
To the average spectator in attendance, the home game seemed just like a regular ol’ Monday at the Family Life Center. But for Kenny Vera and his teammates, Monday night’s home game was more than that.
Fayetteville Christian won the tip and crossed the half-court line, attempting to set up its offense until the ball was swiped away by the 6-foot-3 junior Vera for a fastbreak dunk to score the game's first basket and his 1,000th career point for Northwood Temple.
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Immediately following the ferocious jam, Vera was surrounded by his coaches and teammates, followed by his family in congratulatory fashion.
When asked about his progression from his sophomore season to his now-junior year, Vera said "I've gained a lot of wisdom being here. I've progressed as a leader and as a point guard for a good team."
Coming into the season, Vera said he wasn't aware of how close he was to the 1,000-point milestone. "I really didn't know that I was this close until the coaches told me when the season started, but ever since I found out, I was trying to make sure that I achieve it. Now 2,000 is the next goal."
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Vera’s game has come along nicely. In Northwood Temple's 13 contests this season, Vera is the leader in every major statistical category, averaging 23 points on 63% shooting, five rebounds, and two assists; including 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals in the Monday night win.
"Kenny is the heart and soul of this team,” Northwood Temple coach Jason Moore said “We breathe through Kenny. He's a guy who came in trying to figure out his position on the team after scoring 11 points a game last year. I told him to play with confidence this season, and he's proven that.”
Here are the numbers for Vera’s last four outings:
Dec. 1 at O'Neal: 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists
Dec. 8 vs. Berean Baptist: 31 points, five rebounds, three assists
Dec. 9 vs. South Wake: 26 points, 10 rebounds, four assists
Dec. 11 vs. Fayetteville Christian: 19 points, seven rebounds, five assists
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Northwood Temple basketball’s Kenny Vera hits 1,000-point milestone
