In the chaos of a long high school basketball season, the victories and losses can define so much of what a team has accomplished.

Despite that, one accomplishment can drive teams to even greater feats: watching a teammate score 1,000 points.

The Mission Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs saw two athletes combine for that exact feat, something that didn’t occur across any other Lake County team this season.

Seniors Cora Matt and Lex LaFrombois were intertwined this season, with the goal of competing for state titles. However, an underlying goal emerged as both kids eventually found themselves in a race with time as their seasons started to wind down.

For LaFrombois, he earned not just his 1,000th point but his 1,500th as well to close out a stunning but heartbreaking season.

While the Mission boys only finished the season with a 6-12 record, LaFrombois made the season cinematic for the Bulldogs. From his 42-point showcase against Troy to his 38-point explosion against Powell County to start the season, his game was worth the price of admission.

After watching him play, it felt like nothing could stop him from dominating the rest of the year and even into the divisional tournament.

Unfortunately, he suffered an injury during the Bulldog's opening round game against Missoula Loyola, ending his senior season.

It was going to be a tough game against a stout Rams team but it was made that much harder when LaFrombois went out. However, he remained steadfast, sticking around to watch the games and showing a smile when his friends and family honored his 1,500-point career.

“ I just try to do everything I can to help our team,” LaFrombois said. “Whatever it is, get buckets, get to the cup, and get a bucket or drive kick for a shot. I just try to do whatever I can to help my team.”

While he talked with friends and family, he also had the chance to catch up with someone making her own mark on the Mission program.

Matt was coming off a historic season in which the Lady Bulldogs dropped just one game against district opponents all year. Not only that, she was on the verge of making history right in front of her friends and family as well.

When this season started, she knew good things were going to happen for her and the team. As the season rolled along, she realized quickly that she was going to hit the 1,000-point milestone at some point.

“ I didn't really have it in mind,” Matt said. “When I was growing up, I was never really a person who liked to get to that point and the number didn’t matter to me. But once I looked at the numbers at the beginning of the year, I knew that it was possible. So finally, at the end of the year, we had three or four games left, I realized it was crunch time. I had to do it now and this was the game to do it.”

Despite her strong scoring performances all year, Matt is a facilitator. She helps put her teammates in a position to score or helps set up the offense for an easy scoring opportunity. While she can score from all levels, she doesn’t need to be the primary option every night.

That realization made her 1,000-point game that much more special.

In the waning minutes of a blowout victory over Darby, Matt got a transition opportunity to score. She put up a short floater and watched as it bounced off the back of the hoop and into the net.

In a mostly tame Salish Kootenai College gym, the crowd and her team erupted. She had secured the last two points needed for her to become a 1,000-point scorer.

Her face was red as light tears clouded her eyes. Her teammates surrounded her as a timeout was called to help celebrate the moment. As the fanfare happened for roughly a minute, LaFrombois looked on as his fellow Mission classmate was being celebrated.

Both teams wrapped up the divisional tournament by missing out on the state tournament. Those disappointing ends to the season didn’t make the tournament any less special.

While every kid wants to take their team to state, most will never even get close to that goal. For these teams, they not only saw points of success but they were celebrated for their own success.

LaFrombois and Matt met after Mission’s win, both carrying signs celebrating their respective scoring feats.

Everyone repping the Mission Bulldogs took photos and chatted with supporters of the two seniors for almost the entire break between divisional games. 

Both kids were focused. Each one had managed that focus for four straight years. The successes and struggles of these athletes were not defined by any single performance but by a moment frozen in time by cellphone photos.

Their success will forever intertwine Matt and LaFrombois. In a game that punishes many with disappointment, these two will forever be defined by what they meant for Bulldog basketball.