St. Mary鈥檚 Shay Ciezki makes up for lost time
LANCASTER, N.Y. (BVM) 鈥� When St. Mary鈥檚 senior Shay Ciezki entered the program her freshman season, she had a list of goals she had hoped to hit on before her time concluded. The headliner on that list: breaking the school鈥檚 scoring record.
鈥�2,000 (points) was one of those major goals that I didn’t necessarily think that I would reach but I was always going to try鈥� and see what could happen,鈥� Ciezki said. 鈥淟uckily it did.鈥�
The Lancers鈥� guard has had a monumental impact on the program since she first arrived. Her combination of skill and natural instincts has helped her deliver from the very beginning, when Ciezki helped the Lancers to a 21-2 record in her freshman campaign. Behind her first two seasons, Ciezki had racked up more than 1,000 points, allowing her a chance at joining an elite club at the high school level.
鈥淢y 1,000-point was pretty big,鈥� Ciezki said. 鈥淚 never thought I was going to get that milestone my sophomore year. I was shocked.鈥�
With the milestone goal under her belt, Ciezki seemed to have more than enough time to reach 2,000. Unfortunately for the Lancers鈥� star, her junior season would be minimized to roughly 10 less games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, putting her goal of getting to 2,000 in jeopardy. Ciezki, however, wouldn鈥檛 let the newest hurdle affect her mindset.聽
The St. Mary鈥檚 guard would come out firing to open the 2021 season, notching her first of three 40-point performances in the team鈥檚 first game. A mix of 20-30–point performances throughout the next month would bring her closer to not only the program鈥檚 record of 1,776 career points, set by current assistant coach Raeann Stilwell, but also the once–much anticipated 2,000-point mark.聽
With every game bringing her closer to the record, Ciezki could feel some of the nerves leading up to the moment.
鈥淭here was definitely a lot of pressure just when I鈥檓 going to get that 2,000,鈥� Ciezki said. 鈥淲hich game am I going to do it at? Home in front of all my fans, or away? So, there was a little pressure on that, but at the end of the day, if I got it, I got it.鈥�
From Panther to Lancer was a special player & person. Tonight she hit the 2,000pt milestone in her 81st HS game 25ppg over 4yrs. She is more than points. She is a leader & mentor. She is Shay2K. is so proud of you! Keep being Shay!
— SMH W Basketball (@SMH_WBasketball)
After Ciezki topped the former program record in a win against 鈥嬧��Elmira, the career mark seemed set to happen in the Lancers鈥� home matchup against Cardinal O鈥橦ara with Ciezki needing just 18 points. Early in the third quarter of the team’s matchup, Ciezki finished with a driving layup, eclipsing the 2,000-mark. A pause in play would ensue as she was embraced by teammates and coaches.
鈥淚t didn’t really take me until that night to really process, 鈥極h my gosh I scored 2,000 points,鈥欌�� Ciezki said. 鈥淚n that moment, I didn鈥檛 really realize the big milestone that I just reached. It was cool that night, I was sitting down with my family and we鈥檙e all talking like, 鈥榃ow, this is pretty crazy, this is pretty unreal.鈥欌��
The season has been a special one for Ciezki who has enjoyed taking on a much different role in her senior campaign. With five seniors graduating this past year, the Lancers鈥� star has taken on a bigger responsibility to help lead a team of mostly underclassmen.聽
鈥淢y roles changed from being that junior that was one of the starters to now a senior having to lead the whole team,鈥� Ciezki said. 鈥淚’m just grateful for the opportunity to have these young players under my wing so I can kind of mentor them and lead them in a winning mindset. It’s been an awesome change and it’s going to help me down the road at Penn State.鈥�
Ciezki will be taking the leap to the next level this fall as she begins her freshman season at Penn State. With a number of schools interested in the Western New York native, Ciezki couldn鈥檛 pass up the chance to play under former Marquette coach Carolyn Kieger in State College.
鈥淚t was definitely the girls, the atmosphere, the coaches,鈥� Ciezki said when asked about her choice of Penn State. 鈥淐oach Keager has鈥� a winning mentality that I can see in her and I know she鈥檚 going to take Penn State to bigger heights in the next few years. And the girls were just absolutely amazing. They welcomed me with open arms and I took a visit down there and as soon as I stepped on campus I felt that it was a family and it was right.鈥�
With her senior season nearing the end, Ciezki has high hopes for her final chapter at St. Mary鈥檚 as the Lancers continue their run in the Monsignor Martin playoffs.
鈥淚’m so proud of them because we鈥檙e really pushing through and we鈥檙e winning some games that we didn鈥檛 think that we would win prior to the season,鈥� Ciezki said. 鈥淲ith playoffs coming, I think we have a really good shot of making that state championship run.鈥�
