Star Brookline Basketball Player Reaches for New Heights

It was like any other day at recess for a seventh-grade Amber Dillon, but little did she know she would pick up the sport that would change her life.

The young Dillon harmlessly picked up a basketball, started shooting around and so far, she hasn’t put it down.

“From that moment I decided I wanted to play,” said Dillon, who recently cashed in with her 1,00oth career point.  “So I went home and told my father that I wanted to play.”

The rest is history. Dillon has helped lead the Brookline girl’s basketball team to a 10-6 record this season, which is good enough for the Warriors second straight visit to the MIAA tournament.

She has been named a Bay State League All-Star, and recently was nominated for the McDonald’s All-American game, which features some of the most talented high school seniors from around the country.

When Warriors’ head coach Allyson Toney first started working with Dillon, she didn’t see a player who picked up the game only a couple of years ago. Granted, Dillon has made her way on the AAU circuit to play all year round, but the skill-set was there from the beginning in the second-year coach’s eyes.

“She’s extremely athletic and she’s a hard worker,” said Toney. “It’s important for her to be good. She’s a sponge that wants to soak in the information and she wants to improve on the things that we have pointed out to her.”

Dillon is averaging close to 15 points a night, and over the next couple of games should crack the 1,000-point barrier for her career.

“She’s our quarterback,” said Toney. “The offense is run through her. She’s amazingly quick and can take the ball at one end, dribble, and outrace the five players on the other team.”

Dillon ran track and played soccer before her basketball endeavors took over, but she said she sees how both sports help improve her hoops game.

“My strong suit is driving to the hoop,” she said. “I’m really fast on my feet, which helps me be really good on defense.”

Dillon will find out soon about the McDonalds All-American chance, as the selections will be made on ESPN. The chances of making the team are up in the air at this point, but without that harmless shoot around at recess in seventh grade, it might not have all been possible.