'A surreal moment:' Gabby Casey breaks Lansdale Catholic's all-time scoring record

Some secrets are just too good to keep.

On Monday, Gabby Casey had no idea she was 15 points away from becoming the all-time leading scorer for the Lansdale Catholic girls basketball team.

She had to think something was up when her teammates, sworn to secrecy, suddenly stopped talking when she walked over.

And she definitely knew something was up when she saw the student section preparing signs and banners with her name on them.

So the cat was out of the bag, but that didn’t put a damper on Casey’s big moment.

“I was actually really nervous,” said Casey. “But so thankful to get this opportunity and for all the support.”

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Casey sure didn’t play like she was nervous. Three minutes into the first quarter, Casey had scored 12 points against Catholic League opponent Bonner-Prendergast. With every point she scored, the student section ripped down a number from the paper countdown they constructed.

The senior reached the milestone just minutes later, hitting a 3-pointer to tie the record, followed by a layup that broke the scoring record.

“It was a surreal moment that I’ll never forget,” said Casey. “The team storming the court was the best part.”

The Crusaders’ long-standing scoring record of 1,259 points had been set by Meghan O’Brien in 1994.

“Meghan was at the game tonight, which was a nice surprise,” said Casey. “She gave me a hug.”

Casey finished the game with 23 points, sitting out much of the second half as the Crusaders handled Bonner-Prendergast 78-11, improving to 2-0 in the PCL standings.

Breaking the record at home was especially meaningful to Casey, who had scored her 1,000th-career point on the road in the playoffs last season as a junior.

Reaching the 1,000-point milestone was a huge goal for Casey, but breaking the scoring record wasn’t a focus.

“At some point after last season, I found out that I was nearing the record,” said Casey. “I wasn’t really keeping track of my points so I didn’t realize I was this close.”

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While Casey may not be paying close attention to her point totals, plenty of other people are. In the Crusaders’ PCL opener last Thursday, Casey had 40 points, 21 rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks in a 76-54 win against Neumann-Goretti.

That was also a memorable night for Casey, thought not necessarily due to her eye-popping stat line.

“Last year we lost to Neumann-Goretti in the playoffs (in the PCL quarterfinals),” Casey recalled. “It felt really good to start off the PCL season with a (76-54) win against them.”

While that loss ended the Crusaders’ quest for the Catholic League championship last season, it sure didn’t hurt them in the state playoffs, as Lansdale Catholic made it all the way to the PIAA Class 4A state championship game.

“Last year, our team created such a strong bond, and going to the state championship was a big part of that,” said Casey. “The way we felt after losing that game (57-45, to Archbishop Wood) is something I don’t ever want to feel again.”

The Crusaders sure haven’t had to deal with much losing this season. The team boasts an 8-1 record, with their lone loss to 9-2 Neshaminy.

Casey and the Crusaders are poised for another deep playoff run, though there’s not much that can top that Tuesday night in January in the Lansdale Catholic gym.

“It was definitely a night I'll remember for the rest of my life,” said Casey. “The student section, my teammates and coaches made it really special.”

For Lansdale Catholic head coach Eric Gidney, coaching Casey has been a really special experience.

“So many talented basketball players have worn the Lansdale Catholic uniform through the years. To break the career scoring record … a record which has stood for 30 years, (is) amazing,” said Gidney. “And so deserved with how hard she works. To have her call me coach is quite an honor.”

And this isn't the only record Casey is on pace to break this season. She is now 80 points away from breaking the scoring record Mike McGowan set in 2003 on the boys basketball team.

After the game, Casey enjoyed a celebratory dinner out with her family, including her grandmother, who had attended her first game of the season.

While Casey’s older brother, Jimmy Casey, a basketball and football standout at Lansdale Catholic, was back at Florida State, where he plays football, and unable to attend the game, he did the next best thing.

“I don’t hear from my brother too often, but he sent me a text saying congratulations,” said Gabby. “And he said ‘I love you’ which was a real surprise!”

It would be a late night for Casey, who said she would be up for a while reliving the evening. But that wasn’t the only thing keeping her up late.

“I have a test in first period, so I need to study for that,” said Casey, who plans to study sports marketing at St. Joseph’s University next year.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: PA Bucks Montco girls basketball Gabby Casey Lansdale Catholic