Short junior seasons made it tougher, but four Olympia-area girls basketball players surpass 1,000 points

Every basketball program has a pantheon of its most productive scorers: the 1,000 Point Club.

At some universities, with long schedules of 40-minute games, the lists can contain dozens of names. High schools, with 32-minute games and fewer of them, have more exclusive “clubs.”

In Washington, with teams limited to 20 regular season games, scoring 1,000 points is even more difficult. For current players, the pandemic-shortened Spring 2021 season raised the bar still higher.

Yet, four local senior girls basketball players reached 1,000 points this season, though none played more than 17 games as juniors.

NATALIE SUMROK

Tumwater

The milestone snuck up on Sumrok. When she scored her 1,000th point on a midrange jumper during a tight 55-51 season opening victory over Washougal, she didn’t see it coming.

“I had no idea. My teammates kept it from me because they wanted it to be a surprise,” she said. “I didn’t even know I was close, so I was super excited when they announced it.”

That Sumrok, an athletic six-footer who holds the Thunderbirds’ school record in the javelin and finished sixth in the state heptathlon, found the basket often doesn’t surprise coach Robin Johnson.

“Natalie moves like a guard and she’s tall like a post,” says Johnson, who has Tumwater ranked at the top of Washington’s 2A schools. “She’s really worked on her back-to-the-basket game. She has the speed to run the court.

“We get her the ball in transition and that’s where a lot of her points come from. She’s put in the work on scoring through contact and developing her outside shot.”

Sumrok, who will play for Western Colorado next season, arrived at Tumwater in Johnson’s second season as part of a group of highly-touted freshmen. Their goal of an eventual state title is a realistic one as her senior year plays out.

“I didn’t expect our senior year to come so fast,” Sumrok said. “We’re all excited. This is our year.”

DREA BRUMFIELD

W.F. West

The Bearcats were at home against Aberdeen in early December during what would become a 77-24 victory when Olivia Remund passed to Brumfield and came out to set a ball screen. Instead, Brumfield drove baseline and dropped in a layup for 1,000.

“I knew it was coming,” she said. “Everyone in the student section was yelling ‘one more, one more basket.’”

Brumfield is creeping up on Brianna Thompson’s school record 1,160 points set early in the century. Thompson later played at Division I Binghampton University. Brumfield has signed with Pepperdine.

“Even though personal accolades aren’t the biggest goal, it’s something I’ve wanted to do since middle school or even elementary school,” said Brumfield.

Coach Kyle Karnofski has seen the 6-foot-2 Brumfield score in countless ways.

“She’s made more than 120 threes, has the school record. She can get to the rim. She’s got a nice pull-up. With her height she can get to the midrange and, if she’s cut off, spin inside. She can score at multiple levels.”

ASHLEY SCHOW

Tenino

Schow is the offensive star of a defense-minded 9-3 Tenino team that has held most of its opponents to fewer than 40 points on its way to a share of the lead in the 1A Evergreen Conference.

A mid-range jumper at the start of the Beavers 63-35 rout of visiting Cascade Christian a few days before Christmas got her to the milestone.

“My coach called a time out and we celebrated for a quick minute before we got back to the game,” said the 6-foot-1 Schow, who has signed with Central Washington. “It was pretty cool to have the game stop because of something I did. It’s meaningful. I got to experience something most people don’t.”

Scott Ashmore, the coach who called that time out, appreciates how Schow, the Co-MVP of the 1A EvCo during the spring season, has developed.

“Ashley started out as a back-to-the-basket player before I got here,” he said. “She spins to the hoop so smoothly. It looks effortless, but she’s really put in the time. This year she’s been hitting more threes and she’s a tremendous ball handler so she can go inside or outside.”

Schow remains a threat to break the Beavers’ career scoring record. She hopes the combination of her ability to drive the offense and the team’s focus on defense takes Tenino far.

“Our goal is to make it to state. We might as well go out with a bang,” she said.

AUBREY AMENDALA

Tumwater

A few weeks after her teammate Sumrok hit quadruple digits, Amendala nailed her first shot during a 56-37 win over Bethel to join her.

“I knew it was coming up, but I didn’t know it would be on that shot,” said Amendala, a 5-foot-6 point guard who has signed with NCAA Division I Dixie State.

Johnson, her coach, is also Amendala’s mom. She’s seen her development from the first time toddler Aubrey picked up a basketball during Black Hills’ practices when Johnson was the Wolves’ head coach.

“Aubrey scores because of her quickness and her basketball IQ,” Johnson said. “She sees the game three or four plays ahead. She can score from all three levels. She can hit the deep perimeter shot and she’s super crafty around the rim.”

Neither Amendala or Sumrok is a threat to break the all-time Tumwater scoring record of 1,666 points established between 1993-97 by LeAnne Sheets, who went on to play at Washington and professionally overseas, but Amendala is more focused on the T-Birds team success.

Tumwater entered Friday night’s game against Rochester 11-1, with wins over 4A schools Woodinville, Bethel and Camas.

“We’ve been playing well,” she said. “But we’ve got more potential. It’s been so awesome to come in as freshmen and play with this group of girls for four years.”