Senior Lauren McDonald scored her 1,000th collegiate career point with a left-handed layup in an away game against the Kentucky Wesleyan College Panthers Feb. 8. 

“I knew it was coming, but I didn’t know it was such a small amount of points away,” McDonald said. “I thought it might not happen that game.”

She made her final basket on an “and one,” with an opposing player fouling her as she went in for a layup.

The team was prepared to celebrate McDonald’s achievement, with papers saying “1,000 points” dispersed among the crowd and cookie cake for afterwards. McDonald’s parents were also in attendance and celebrated with her, McDonald said.

Junior Payton Adkins said the team was watching carefully as McDonald approached the milestone.

“We all kept waiting, picking up and setting down our papers for the 1,000 points, and then when she did we all started cheering for her and holding our papers,” Adkins said in an email. “What was even cooler is for the most part the opposing teams’ fans also stood up and clapped for her, respecting how impressive of an achievement it is.”

A transfer from the Air Force Academy, McDonald joined the team in the spring semester of her sophomore year, according to head coach Brennan. Although she could have delayed playing for a semester and stayed on the team for a fifth year, McDonald jumped in right away.

“It was literally her third day on Hillsdale’s campus and we were leaving for a team trip to Puerto Rico, and she hopped on the bus with us, hopped on the plane with us, and essentially went to Puerto Rico with strangers,” Brennan said. 

Not only did McDonald immediately fit in with the team, she also filled an important position on the court, according to Brennan.

“When she joined us she actually had to transform her game to being our point guard because we really didn’t have one,” Brennan said. 

Today, McDonald is the starting point guard as well as the leading scorer for women’s basketball, Brennan said.

“She truly has the clutch gene, and so whenever we need her to take over or need a bucket down the stretch, she just loves to have the ball in her hands,” Brennan said. “She really thrives with that pressure on her.”

Following close on the heels of her senior teammate Caitlin Splain, McDonald became the 22nd woman in Hillsdale College basketball history to score 1,000 points.

“It’s a really big deal,” Brennan said. “In today’s day a lot of athletes are doing it in five years, but Caitlin and Lauren have done it in four years, which is super impressive.”

Adkins appreciated McDonald’s achievement as a fellow teammate.

“It’s already a hard accomplishment to get in high school,” Adkins said. “Lots of people don’t get it then, but then to come to college where everyone was the All-American on their high school team and be able to get it against that high level of competition is even more impressive.”

Adkins and Brennan both said McDonald focuses on the team.

“What I most admire about Lauren is how she is one of the greatest players in the conference but yet the most selfless,” Adkins said. 

Even on the court, McDonald builds up her team, according to Adkins.

“Lauren is constantly looking not at points but at her teammates,” Adkins said. “You can see this just through her stats: she leads the team in almost every category, including assists, since she’s always looking at how to best set up her teammates to score.”

When McDonald’s not on the court, she’s cheering on her team, according to Brennan.

“She’s always the first one to celebrate her teammates,” Brennan said. “We tease her because after every point that she scores or her teammates scores, she does this little clap thing. It’s the cutest.”

After graduating, McDonald said she hopes to pursue a position as a graduate assistant coach in basketball.

“I obviously love basketball and I just want to get more experience on the logistics side of it to see if I really enjoy coaching, or if I want to do something else.”

In the meantime, McDonald said she has work to do for the team. 

“I want to win the conference tournament,” McDonald said. “That’s my big goal.”