The Lady Marauders clinched the CCAA Division 1 West league title on Saturday with a win over Olean, 84-46. It was the first league title for the Dunkirk girls basketball program since 1991.

But just like Dunkirk’s high scoring offense, the awards come in bunches, just as the points do. On Saturday, Dunkirk honored its senior class — starters Jessica Beehler, Amari Carter, Kymi Nance, Nadara O’Dell and Olivia Smith and reserve Kaitlyn Davis — before the game. Then at halftime, Dunkirk honored Kymi Nance with a custom basketball to commemorate 1,000 career points, which she achieved earlier this season. The Lady Marauders also put a bow on the celebration, as Olivia Smith signed to finalize her commitment to play college basketball at Niagara County Community College.

“I don’t think there has ever been a more decorated day in the history here. So much happened at once,” said Dunkirk head coach Ken Ricker.

But there was also a game to be played, with plenty of intrigue attached to it. Not only was the league title within reach for the Lady Marauders, but so was one more accomplishment. Nadara O’Dell began the game just 22 points shy of 1,000 points in her career. Like her teammate Nance, O’Dell wanted to mirror with her own 1,000-point celebration.

Nadara O'Dell begins her motion on a free-throw. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.

“I was thinking we just need to push through it all,” said O’Dell referencing the challenge of playing with so much surrounding the game on Saturday. “We just needed to keep running past everybody and keep playing great defense.”

At halftime, O’Dell had 16 points to lead all scorers in the game. She had 10 points in a 25-15 Dunkirk first quarter and added six more in the second quarter. Dunkirk led 44-24 at the break, which sent all eyes toward the countdown for O’Dell — which was chronicled by Coach Ricker’s daughter, Annika, who raised handmade signs by Ricker’s students to signal how many points were left to be scored until the mark was hit.

Minutes after Nance was honored for her feat, O’Dell stepped to the line with 1:11 to go in the third quarter, with a 63-40 lead, to shoot a pair of free-throws. She needed just one point to reach the mark, and she knocked down the first, which sent the gym into a roaring celebration.

“I was a little nervous when it got so close,” said O’Dell, who missed a few opportunities to hit 1,000 in the third quarter before finally cashing in from the line. “I didn’t want to miss any — and I did, but that’s okay. I was just hoping my teammates could push through that and keep getting it to me.”

O’Dell credits Nance for inspiring her to reach the same scoring milestone.

Annika Ricker, coach Ken Ricker's daughter, holds a sign to count down toward Nadara O'Dell's 1,000th point. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.

“When she hit her 1,000, it really pushed me to keep going so I could reach my 1,000 too,” said O’Dell.

From then on, Dunkirk (17-1, 9-1) capped the third quarter with a 3-pointer by Nance. In the fourth quarter, Dunkirk outscored Olean (3-15, 1-10) 14-0 over the first five minutes of the frame. Then, Ricker called all five seniors off the floor to receive one last ovation from the crowd.

Olean’s bench, namely head coach Chelsea Bowker, didn’t react too well to the decision. Because Dunkirk only had nine active players, with Kaitlyn Davis unable to dress for the game, the Lady Marauders chose to play with four players on the court, the only non-seniors on the roster. Ricker cited his desire to not get anyone hurt in the final minutes of a blowout, in addition to honoring the senior starters, as reasoning for the decision. Bowker screamed for a technical on Dunkirk, then when it wasn’t called, she demonstratively protested throughout the ensuing moments. Olean took a shot clock violation on purpose on the next possession.

Then, Dunkirk eighth grader Molly Dicara, who had zero points listed online prior to the game in her young varsity career, drilled a 3-pointer that left her senior teammates chanting “Molly! Molly!” from the bench. Olean protested again on its next possession, taking the clock down to the final seconds of the shot clock before chucking up a deep 3-pointer of their own, which was no good. After Bowker and Ricker exchanged words multiple times throughout the final three minutes of play, referees brought the two coaches together and decided to call game with 1:50 remaining the clock, sealing the Dunkirk victory 84-46. Olean did not score a point in the final period.

O’Dell finished with 30 points to lead all scorers in the contest. Nance added 24 of her own, while Smith hit six 3-pointers for 18 points. Beehler added nine points, while Dicara’s 3-pointer closed the scoring.

Nadara O'Dell begins her motion on a free-throw for what was her 1,000th point. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.

“This shows that anybody can do it,” said O’Dell of all of her team’s accomplishments on Saturday.

“They put in a lot of work,” added Ricker. “They took a lot of lumps earlier in their career, but they’ve really worked hard. … There is a lot of resiliency in that class, there is a lot of character, and it’s nice to see them reap the benefits.”

Olean got 13 points from Norah Sweitzer, 11 points from Anayah Parks-Barker and 10 points from Hayliegh Federowicz.

Dunkirk travels to Olean on Tuesday in a rematch of the two teams that bookend the league standings. The Lady Marauders close the regular season the next day with a home game on Wednesday against Allegany-Limestone.

Regardless of whoever tried to rain on the parade of the Lady Marauders, there was simply no way to take any wind out of the sails of the soaring Dunkirk girls on Saturday. It was the kind of day that will leave a legacy behind, long after the Dunkirk seniors graduate later this year.

Nadara O'Dell smiles after scoring her 1,000th point. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.

“I always just wanted to put the girls in a position to succeed long-term, and they’re all getting there, that’s for sure,” said Ricker. “I’ll be driving by the school 10 years from now and I’ll tell my wife we have to go by the school to see those numbers up there and remember those special kids.”

Kymi Nance was honored at halftime with a custom ball for achieving 1,000 career points. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.

Olivia Smith signed with NCCC after the game. She is shown here with her family. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.

Olivia Smith signed with NCCC after the game. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen.