Londonderry Produces Two 1,000-Point Scorers On The Same Night

Mason Paquette was surprised to learn he surpassed the milestone, the same night Sammie Sullivan netted her 1,000th career point for Londonderry's girls' team

Sammie Sullivan scored her 1,000th career point on Tuesday night for the Londonderry girls basketball team, just hours before Mason Paquette reached the same milestone for the Lancers' boys team. / Roger Brown

LONDONDERRY, NEW HAMPSHIRE – As Londonderry High School’s Mason Paquette prepared to shoot the free throw, it seemed like everyone in the gym knew he was about to score the 1,000th point of his high school career. Well, everyone except Paquette.

“I didn’t know until I got to 1,000 points,” Paquette said. “I didn’t even know before the game. It was a total surprise.”

Paquette, a 6-foot-3 senior, entered the game two points shy of 1,000 and reached the milestone when he made two free throws with 5:53 left in the opening quarter of Tuesday’s home game against Goffstown. He scored a game-high 34 points in Londonderry’s 75-66 victory.

The game was stopped when Paquette reached 1,000 for a brief on-court ceremony and he was given a basketball signed by his teammates.

Londonderry coach Jaryd Piecuch said he knew 1,000 points was within reach before his team’s 54-43 loss to Alvirne on Friday night, but kept the news from Paquette.

“Only two people knew until Friday night, but eventually it just spread and a lot of people knew,” Piecuch said. “I know he didn’t because Blake (Thompson), our first guy off the bench, jumped off the bench to go get the basketball that was signed and Mason was yelling at Blake, ‘Hey, take your (warmup) shirt off.’ Finally I got his attention and told him he just hit 1,000. He said, ‘I had no idea.’”

Paquette collected his 1,000th point on the same night Sammie Sullivan scored her 1,000th point to lead the Londonderry girls basketball team to a 78-31 victory at Goffstown. She needed 14 points to reach 1,000 and finished the game with 22. The Lancers improved to 7-0 with the win.

Paquette has been a starter since midway through his freshman season. His 34-point performance included six 3-pointers. He was 10 of 10 from the free throw line, where he’s shooting above 90 percent this season.

“As a freshman I was mostly a shooter, but I’ve built my game to be able to drive the ball as well,” Paquette said. “When I was in middle school I heard about other players scoring 1,000 points and since then it was definitely a goal of mine. It was a great moment.”

Paquette hasn’t finalized his basketball plans for next season. He’s considering both college and post-grad year at a prep school. 

Piecuch said Paquette used to be primarily a 3-point shooter, but became more aggressive last season.

“I think he was scoring 16 a game as a sophomore and I told him if he wanted to get to 20 points a game he had to get to the free throw line,” Piecuch said. “He’s a matchup nightmare. The last two teams have told us, ‘We’re zoning you. We can’t guard Mason.’ If you have a bigger guy on him he’s going to pull him out to the 3-point line and hit shots. If you have a smaller guy on him he’s taking you down low.’ 

“He does a great job with the strength program here. He’s squatting over 300 pounds, and he’s just using his legs and getting to the rim.

“Very reserved family and they raised a great kid. We’re lucky to have him.”