“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg Daily Press Escanaba senior Morgan Maki (30) hugs Keira Maki after she scored her 1,000th career point during the second quarter of a game against Gwinn on Feb. 5, 2024 at Escanaba High School.

ESCANABA — It was Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. Heavy fog rolls into Escanaba on the afternoon of an uncharacteristically warm day.

Trademark banks of snow in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula continue to shrink into small piles. Piles big enough to make up to three snowballs, but small enough to leave a second grader on a sled shedding tears from the disappointment.

This day also featured a home game for the Escanaba girls’ basketball team. The 7-7 Eskymos were set to host 1-15 Gwinn. Head coach Tracy Hudson was set to give four new players a crack at the starting lineup, but that wasn’t Monday’s primary storyline.

The marquee event was the accomplishment which senior forward Keria Maki was drawing inches from. All she needed was 13 points against the Modeltowners to become the sixth player in program history to score 1,000 points.

“I told my classes (on Monday) ‘hey, you need to come tonight,'” Eskymos head coach Tracy Hudson said. “‘You’re going to see history tonight.'”

Starting lineups were introduced, tip-off was won by, ironically enough, Maki. It was game on, and the senior made her impact immediately.

Maki gathered the ball on the right wing. She drove past Gwinn freshman Makayla Delmont and went up for a contested layup. Maki was bumped by Modeltowners’ center Justice Nix, knocking her shot off course while drawing a foul.

Maki made both free throws. In 14 seconds of game time, she was 11 points away from immortality.

“She looks like a 1,000 point scorer,” Hudson said. “She’s that type of player.”

With the game tied 2-2, Esky junior McKenzie Engebretson fed Maki the ball in the paint. She posted up and, while defended by Delmont again, spun inside and hit a layup. It was good for two points.

With 4:40 left in the first quarter, Maki was nine points away from immortality.

“She’s got a motor. She attacks the rim,” Hudson said of Maki. “She’s special in that way. She plays at a different intensity level, a different speed than a lot of other girls.”

With 3:03 to go in the first quarter, Esky junior Natalie Beauchamp comes up with a rebound. She violently motors up the floor, and before she crosses half court she rockets a chest pass that one-hops to an open Maki. She settles the ball down under the left side of the basket. Maki dribbles once, moves to her left with her face pointed toward center court and drains a reverse layup.

It’s 10-2 Esky with 2:57 remaining in the first quarter. Maki was seven points from immortality.

“She’s a gym rat,” Hudson said of Maki. “She works hard. She wants to be successful.”

With the first frame coming down to its final minute, Gwinn looks to find some sort of rhythm on offense against Esky’s 1-3-1 zone. Delmont tried to dart an overhead pass to junior Miaha Schiefel two paces above of the 3-point line. Maki, patiently sitting at the top of the 1-3-1 zone like a cat about to pounce at the evil red laser dot, leaped, knocked down the pass attempt and tipped it to herself. She went the distance for an easy layup. Esky led 12-4 with 56.7 seconds left in the first quarter. Maki was five points away from immortality.

“Coaches want players that want it more than they do,” Hudson said. “She’s one that wants it more than anybody.”

Schiefel took the in-bounds pass to start the second quarter from the right side of the floor to the left. What she didn’t see was Maki lurking behind her like a shark sneaking behind its prey in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Maki poked the ball free, which landed in the waiting hands of Beauchamp.

Beauchamp then motored up the floor and delivered a bounce pass to Maki, who was one step ahead. Maki drained the uncontested layup.

Esky led 16-4 seven seconds into the second stanza. Maki was three points away from immortality.

“She’s that type of player,” Hudson said of Maki. “She’s got a special athletic ability.”

The Modeltowners began to find success, using a 6-0 run to pull to 16-10. Their 2-3 zone began to fluster Esky.

After a couple attempts of feeding Maki at the top of the key, junior guard Emerson Salo lobbed a pass over the head of Schiefel. Maki paused for a split second, dribbled, took one step forward and fired from 12 feet.

Her shot initially hits the front of the rim, rolls to the backboard and, like a chip falling down the Plinko board on “The Price is Right” makes its way through the maze, the ball glided through the net and on the floor.

Esky led 18-10 with 5:07 remaining in the quarter. Maki was one point away from immortality.

“She wants to be a college basketball player,” Hudson said of Maki. “She sets goals. She’s kept her grades up. Everything for her is centered around basketball.”

Gwinn scored on its ensuing offensive possession. Esky then brought the ball up to set up shop on the offensive end.

The ball wound up in the hands of Esky junior Clara Braun on the right wing. She passed it to Maki at the top of the key. Maki gathered the pass and rolled to her left in hopes of shaking Gwinn defender Adeline Derwin.

Maki drove to the hole for a layup, but Nix knocked her off course. The shot sailed away from the hoop, but Nix was charged with the foul.

Maki was going to the free throw line with 4:26 remaining in the second quarter.

Maki got the ball from the official. She dribbled the ball two times with her left hand on the left side of her body. She brought the ball up, fired while leaping in the air. The ball bounced off the front of the rim, off the back of the rim and in.

Maki scored her 1,000th career point. She reached immortality.

“The Big Dog” Mitch Vosburg Daily Press
The Escanaba student section erupts after Keira Maki scored her 1,000th career point during the second quarter of a game against Gwinn on Feb. 5, 2024 at Escanaba High School.

“It’s history,” Hudson said. “I coached 25 years on the boys side. I didn’t have a boy score 1,000 (points). It doesn’t happen that much. That’s why it’s so special.

“She earned it.”

The crowd erupted. The buzzer, which typically sounds for a routine substitution, rang longer than usual. Salo ran up from her spot to rebound and greeted Maki with a hug. The entire Esky bench mobbed the floor to celebrate.

However, Maki was initially unsure what the ruckus was all about. She didn’t know she was 13 points away.

“They wouldn’t tell me,” Maki admitted after the game. “I had no idea. I knew I was close.”

From there it was a brief, impromptu ceremony. She received a standing ovation from the home crowd, an updated banner which hangs on the northeast wall of the gymnasium reflecting her accomplishments, a commemorative ball highlighting her accomplishments with messages from her teammates on it.

“It’s unreal,” Maki said. “Everyone’s there for you in the community. It feels great that people are there to lift you up. No one’s jealous, no one’s in a bad mood. They’re all happy for you.”