Northwest Catholic high school has a historic basketball program in the state of Connecticut, and on Friday afternoon, Abby Casper etched her name with the legends for the Lions.
Sarah Gaspar had held the Northwest Catholic girls basketball all-time scoring record since 1993 with 1,629 career points but 33 years later, that changed. Casper, a stretch-big for the Lions, passed that mark at the Panini Hoophall Classic.
In the first quarter Casper had seven points, and a 3-pointer from deep gave her the sole record. The public address announcer recognized her milestone achievement at the end of the first quarter, with spectators giving Casper a standing ovation. She was filled with joy after the game had ended, as Casper had put countless hours into her game.
“I was really happy I got it today,” Casper said. “I put in so much work to get there, all the training, all the behind the scenes hours after practice, and shooting before practice — All of that paid off today. My team has also helped me get there, everyone’s so supportive of me. They wanted me to get it so badly today. It’s a really great feeling.”
Casper had led the Lions to an 8-0 start on the season, but they lost their first game of the season to out-of-state opponent Springfield Central by a score of 56-44, as the Golden Eagles happen to be the No. 1 team in Massachusetts.
Despite the loss, Northwest Catholic put up a solid effort and even led 23-17 at the half. The fourth quarter was one to forget for the Lions as they got outscored 24-9 in the final eight minutes. Casper still had a solid showing, scoring team-best 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. 23 turnovers plagued the Lions, but Casper was still proud of her team’s play.
“I thought our team played really well in the first half,” Casper said. “We struggled to get rebounds offensively and defensively, and I think that was really what killed us. We definitely played well as a team when we were executing our plays and we got the open shots that we wanted. We also brought the energy that we wanted to bring tonight, and that was really good too.”
While Casper is a star in her sport, her good friend and teammate Maeve Staunton is also an All-American soccer player who’s committed to play at the University of Connecticut. Staunton is also an all-state basketball player, and they have grown as a duo together, as the two used to compete against each other in basketball dating back to middle school. The two have helped Northwest Catholic win three CIAC State titles in a row. Staunton had 11 points to go along with six rebounds, five dimes and five steals.
“I think because we knew how each other played, we love to do the high pick and roll,” Casper said. I think over the past four years, we have fed off each other. Our relationship has grown off the court too in our four years, and I feel like we got a lot closer, which has helped us on the court.”
Casper committed to play Division I basketball at Holy Cross this past summer, and can’t wait to get started in Worcester, Mass. with the Crusaders.
“I chose to go to Holy Cross, because immediately when I had my first conversation with [head coach Candice Green], she made me feel like I was already part of the team, like family,” Casper said. “When I went for my first unofficial visit, I was able to meet all the coaching staff, and they were so nice and welcoming to me. I also really loved the school and its academics. When I went for my official visit I got to meet the whole team, and again I felt like I was already on the team, even though I still had another year left to play high school.”
Rebecca Lobo, a WNBA hall of famer, has a daughter named Rose Rushin, who plays for Northwest Catholic alongside Casper. Lobo has coached the Lions in their fall league, and Casper has appreciated her presence.
“It’s been a great experience getting to know [Lobo],” Casper said. “I feel like I’ve grown so much just learning from her, especially my post work and staying strong. She’s always there supporting us.”
Northwest Catholic and Casper have a chance to get back in the win column when they play Holy Cross High School on Monday at 5 p.m.