Myah Pace ’17 became the second women’s basketball player in O’Dowd history to join the 1,000 point and 1,000 rebound club. KC Waters ’13, who went on to play basketball at Cal, was the first to achieve the milestone.
Pace scored her 1,000th point on February 15, during her Senior Night game against Alameda High School, and grabbed her 1,000th rebound on February 21, during O’Dowd’s North Coast Section D3 first round playoff win over Kennedy High.
“It’s really cool to have been able to achieve something that only KC did,” Pace said. “I never got to play with her (Waters graduated a couple months before Pace entered O’Dowd as a freshman), but I heard so much about how great she was.”
Pace didn’t realize she was on track to score 1,000 points and tally 1,000 rebounds until assistant varsity Shannon Donahue mentioned she was nearing the milestones earlier this season.
She’s been more dialed into competing at a high level and enjoying on and off court moments with her teammates. “The last four years have gone by so fast. I’ve played so many games and had a great time,” she said.
Pace says her favorite shot is the mid-range pull up jumper – a shot she’s worked hard on developing over time. “I feel like I’ve really been able to use that as a weapon on offense,” she said.
As far as rebounding goes, Pace says she’s always had a knack for coming up with the ball. “Rebounding is not something that has to do with height or size, but desire,” she said. “I’ve always had the desire to just go get the ball, so I think that’s what allows me to rebound so well.”
Women’s varsity basketball coach Malik McCord said Pace’s accomplishment is very significant, and is a testament to the hard work she’s put in over the years. “She’s the first one in and the last one to leave the gym,” he said.
When asked what advice she would give a younger player, Pace said “Enjoy every little moment, work as hard as you can, and really make the best of your experience.”
Pace recently signed a National Letter of Intent to play basketball at the University of San Diego, where she is considering majoring in either sports medicine/kinesiology or architecture/interior design. “I’m really looking forward to competing at the next level and getting better over the next four years.”