Hackley's Allie Piscina Reaches 1,000 Point Milestone

To join the elite company in your school's history is a tremendous achievement, and it is one Hackley senior shooting guard Allie Piscina earned Feb. 17.

That's when Piscina surpassed the 1,000-point mark for her career in a 65-51 triumph against Dalton in a contest where she tallied a game-high 29 points. That night she became just the seventh Hornet to ever reach that milestone.

"It's an honor," Piscina said. "I've always aspired to be an athlete like those women and with my name on the wall in the gym I just hope to continue to inspire those younger than me to work towards their goal."

Piscina's individual success has helped lead to team success. Hackley (18-6, 10-2), tied Poly for the Ivy League crown with a 42-29 triumph against the Riverdale Country School March 1. That game saw Piscina lead all scorers with 12 points.

Piscina has averaged 16 points per game this year and is a four-year starter on the varsity team. Piscina said that when her time at Hackley started, she hoped to have the successful basketball career she has enjoyed, but it wasn't her main focus.

"I was more concerned with what was best for the team than individual goals," Piscina said. "That's why we've been so successful this year, because everyone has that attitude."

Piscina said she transformed from just being a straight-up shooter to being an all-around player during her sophomore and junior years. She said she really focused on defense and going to the basket instead of settling for the outside shot.

She said the key to that transformation was the tutelage she received from Hackley Head Coach Shelagh Amann.

"She told me to stop shooting, just go to the basket and you'll do much better," Piscina said. "She pushed me on defense; I work a lot harder now than I did before."

Piscina and her teammates have worked harder as the season has gone on. Hackley has won 15 of its last 18 games after starting out 3-3.

The change in fortunes began when the Hornets started attacking the zones, taking it to the rim, working more on its plays and trusting each other.

"We had a rough beginning but just turning it around is so rewarding and it shows how much of a team we really are," Piscina said. "It's really not any individual player. It's about the team playing good defense and passing the ball around. If you look at our earlier game tapes and the ones now, how much we have we have transformed as a team, we are so much better now."

That was evident in the Hornets' first round playoff game, a 56-37 triumph against Horace Mann, where Piscina tallied 12 points.

While Piscina is hoping that is the start of a successful playoff run, once it's over she will have played her last game for Hackley. After that, the next game she will play will be in college for Bowdoin, which is located in Brunswick, Maine.

"I'm just looking forward to taking my game to another level," Piscina said.  "I want to keep improving. I'm going to have to get stronger and faster. I still have to improve but I am really looking forward to doing that."