BERLIN- It took little time for Stephen Decatur girls’ varsity basketball standout Dayona Godwin to record her 1000th career point on Tuesday at home against Washington as the precocious junior put down the milestone about halfway through the first quarter.
Entering the season, it was a near certainty Godwin would collect her 1000th career point at some point, but just how fast she would reach the milestone was uncertain. Godwin led the Seahawks’ offense through much of the first portion of the season prior to the holiday break as she inched closer to her 1000th. However, a nagging injury sidelined Godwin somewhat down the stretch and the milestone was put on the back burner until after the Christmas break.
In the Seahawks’ first game in the New Year at home against Washington on Tuesday, Godwin entered needing just 13 points to hit the 1,000 mark on her career with a season and a half to go. The junior was extremely active in the first quarter and quickly scored 12 points as Decatur pulled away from the Jaguars. With 4:49 left in the first, Godwin grabbed an offensive rebound and converted the put-back for her 13th and 14th points of the game, and more importantly, her 1000th and 1001st career points.
Play was stopped briefly as the raucous home crowd waved signs adorned with “We Knew You Would Make It.” Godwin’s teammates mobbed her at midcourt while her family members, coaches and players swarmed her with balloons, other signs and a basketball commemorating the achievement. Godwin remained in the game briefly and despite Coach Amy Fenzel-Mergott emptying her bench, she returned at different times and finished the milestone day with 22 total points.
Reaching the 1,000 career point mark was somewhat of a foregone conclusion for Godwin, who has the remainder of this season and a full senior season on which to build her final tally at Decatur. It should come as no surprise the junior has made such an indelible mark on the Decatur program given her extensive family history in Lower Shore basketball. For example, her great-grandfather Robinson Brittingham, who passed away a little over a year and a half ago, was a Worcester County basketball legend and Decatur always held a seat for him at its games. Godwin pays homage to her great-grandfather with a wristband with “Pops” on it that she wears during games.
Her great-aunt Robin Brittingham played on the 1997 Stephen Decatur team that won the Bayside Conference championship and were state regional champions. One of her second cousins holds the Wicomico High boys’ scoring record with 1,775 points, while another second cousin also scored 1,000 during his career at WiHi. In addition, Godwin’s uncle Jerome Brittingham was a point guard for the 1980 Decatur team that won a state regional title.