When Thomas Palleschi ’12 snatched a rebound and jumped back into the air, Andover fans slid to the edge of their seats, anticipating that Palleschi would do what he has done hundreds of times in an Andover uniform: score a layup. The crowd erupted in cheer as the shot sunk and marked the 1000th point in Palleschi’s four-year Andover Boys Basketball career.
“Looking up and seeing the crowd on their feet and listening to how loud they were was incredible. It reinforces how much I love PA and how much I’m going to miss it after this year,” said Palleschi.
“I wasn’t sure what to do,” he continued. “My teammates rushed me, and I had chills. I went to my mom and gave her a hug, and while I was hugging her, she started to cry, and the only thing I could say was, ‘Mom, please stop crying, or you’re going to make me cry.’ It was just a really emotional moment for my family and me.”
The game stopped to honor the feat, which only two other athletes have accomplished in Andover’s history. Becky Dowling ’04 and Joe Lokitis ’06 both reached four digits in points scored, but neither of these two Andover superstars also pulled down 1000 rebounds, a milestone Palleschi reached two weeks ago.
Palleschi now has 1055 points and 1035 rebounds in his Andover career, averaging 13.0 points per game and 12.8 rebounds per game. He holds the record for rebounds in an Andover career by far, and he is only 104 points away from Lokitis’s record of 1159 points, set in 2006, according to Coach Leon Modeste.
Palleschi shared some of the credit for the landmark with his teammates.
“[Reaching 1000 points] truly is a testament to what great teammates I’ve had over the past four years. I wouldn’t be able to get to this milestone if it wasn’t for them trusting me enough to pass me the ball,” Palleschi said.
Palleschi’s long-time teammate Ryan Hartung ’12 commented on Palleschi’s emphasis on valuing the team as a unit.
“I’ve actually played with Tom since third grade. He is a great teammate, and he is very unselfish. He doesn’t care about his own personal statistics. He could score zero points, but as long as the team wins, he is happy,” said Hartung.
Modeste, Palleschi’s coach for the past four years, had only good things to say about Palleschi’s extensive contributions to the team.
“It was a really great moment for a family that has meant a great deal to [Andover’s] resurgence in basketball. He has improved so much throughout his time here,” said Modeste.
Palleschi scored 203 points in his Freshman year, 200 in his Lower year and 372 points in his Upper year. So far in his Senior year, Palleschi has scored 280 points.
Palleschi continued after the game stoppage to play as dominantly as he always does. He finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and nine blocks, narrowly missing a triple-double and helping Andover defeat Thayer by a score of 71-64.