Two years ago, Eisenhower’s Jaydon Hayes and Warren’s Margo Loutzenhiser each hit the 1,000 point milestone on a free throw, and Loutzenhiser broke the Dragons scoring record last season on a free throw.

In Tidioute Monday, Nakiesha Krouse added her name to that list when she knocked down a free throw with 7:25 left in the Bulldogs’ 50-23 win over Forest. The point was the 1,000th of Krouse’s career as she became the first woman in Tidioute school history to reach the milestone, and the first player since Tidioute became a charter in 2005 to hit the mark. Rian McLaughlin was the last Tidioute player to hit 1,000 points, in 2003.

“It’s crazy, and surreal right now,” Krouse said. “I couldn’t have done it alone. My team was behind me 100 percent.”

A large crowd, including Krouse’s extended family, turned out in anticipation of the milestone point. Though the Bulldogs were trying to get her open looks, Krouse struggled from the field early, knowing she was on the precipice of history.

Times Observer photo by Brian Hagberg Tidioute’s Shelby Proctor (13) and Angelina Sabella embrace teammate Nakiesha Krouse after she scored her 1,000th point during the fourth quarter of a game against Forest at TCCS on Monday. , Jan. 27, 2020. Krouse made history by becoming the first woman to reach 1,000 points for Tidioute. She’s the first player, male or female, to reach the mark since Tidioute became a charter school in 2005 and the first in school history since Rian McLaughlin in 2003.

“I was just in a fog of the game,” she said. “I wanted to get it done and over with so we could play the way we like to play.”

In the early going, freshman Andreya Curtin led the offense with six of TCCS’s 11 first-quarter points as the Bulldogs led the Fires, 11-4, after the first. Krouse, who came into the game needing 14 points for 1,000, had six through the first half, but Tidioute led 20-14 at the break.

A field goal and four free throws had her within two points midway through the third quarter. The Bulldogs kept looking to feed her shots each possession, and the crowd groaned with each near miss. Krouse also had to contend with another issue.

With a minute to go in the quarter, she picked up her fourth personal foul.

“It was intimidating,” she said of playing with the four fouls. “I was little more timid because I didn’t want to get the fifth foul.”

Times Observer photo by Brian Hagberg Tidioute's Andreya Curtin puts up a jump shot during the third quarter of a game against Forest at Tidioute Community Charter School, Monday, Jan. 27, 2020. Curtin finished with 16 points as the Bulldogs topped the Fires, 50-23.

Just 35 seconds into the fourth quarter, the crowd got what it came to see. Krouse was fouled on a 3-point attempt. The shot went wide, but she stepped to the line needing to make just two of three.

She missed the first, but sunk the second. She took a deep breath and hit nothing but net on the third as the crowd and her teammates and coaches went ballistic.

“She’s an inspiration to all the girls here,” TCCS coach Christy Valentine said. “When she walks down the hall, they all know her.”

With the weight of reaching the accomplishment lifted, the Bulldogs dominated the rest of the fourth quarter. They scored 20 points and committed zero turnovers.

“To have zero fourth quarter turnovers and just 13 total is amazing,” Valentine said.

Times Observer photo by Brian Hagberg Tidioute Charter senior Nakiesha Krouse (center) stands with her parents after scoring her 1,000th career point during a game against Forest at Tidioute Community Charter School, Monday, Jan. 27, 2020.

To add just a little more to her special night, Krouse finished with a triple double. She had 16 points, 10 rebounds and 10 steals. Curtin finished one rebound shy of a double-double with 16 points and nine boards. Shelby Proctor had seven points, six rebounds and four assists and Angelina Sabella had five points, nine rebounds, four steals and three assists.

The Bulldogs are back in action Thursday when they host Cochranton.

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Forest (23)

Lander 2-0-2-4, Wagner 0-7-12-7, Clow 3-1-6-7, Tebay 0-1-2-1, Kopchick 2-0-0-4, Culver 0-0-0-0, Borowski 0-0-0-0, Thompson 0-0-0-0, Total 7-9-22-23

TCCS (50)

Krouse 4-8-11-16, Proctor 3-1-2-7, Nuttall 1-0-3-2, Sabella 2-1-2-5, Curtin 8-0-0-16, Scaife 1-0-0-2, Drukenbrod 0-2-2-2, Barnes 0-0-0-0, Hulse 0-0-0-0, Pizer 0-0-0-0, Durlin 0-0-0-0, Franks 0-0-0-0, Daelhousen 0-0-0-0, Zofcin 0-0-0-0, Total 19-12-20-50

By Quarters

Forest 4 10 5 4 – 23

TCCS 11 9 10 20 – 50

3-point FGs: Forest-None. TCCS-None.