BOGOTA — Ashanti Caviness joined a special fraternity headed by NBA assistant coach Pat Sullivan.
Caviness became Bogota’s latest boys basketball player to surpass 1,000 career points during a 60-36 NJIC victory over Leonia on March 1. He is the 16th boy to achieve it under longtime coach Jay Mahoney and 21st in program history.
The senior forward reached 1,001 by hitting a three-pointer early in the fourth quarter in his final home game of this pandemic-shortened season.
“It’s a very exciting moment in my life, and it means a lot,” Caviness said, “because growing up I always wanted to achieve that goal and have my name on the banner one day, and I’m happy to just be able to do it.”
Caviness is a multi-sport standout who last month signed a football scholarship with Division I Monmouth University.
“I give him a lot of credit, because obviously football is his first sport,” said Mahoney, in his 42nd season as Bucs’ coach. “He’s never missed a thing in basketball. He never missed a practice and he gave everything to basketball that he could even though it’s his second sport, and he’s well-liked by the kids.”
Caviness scored a game-high 17 for Bogota (7-5). He reached the milestone by hitting a three-pointer from the right wing at 7:13 of the fourth for a 45-28 lead.
Caviness has 1,006 points while Sullivan, a former Knicks assistant now working for the Timberwolves, stands at 2,546.
Caviness could have climbed into Bogota’s top 10 if not for a pandemic that has shortened the season to six weeks and ends Saturday. Many New Jersey players within reach of 1,000 career points will be denied by the pandemic.
DANIELLE PARHIZKARAN/NORTHJERSEY.COM
