CRESSON—Mount Aloysius guard Demetrius Davis reached a coveted scoring plateau last week, when he became just the tenth player in school history to surpass the 1,000 career point mark.

“I am really happy for Demetrius,” Mount Aloysius coach Lance Loya said. “Seeing a player reach a career milestone is always nice. But watching him do, it and seeing how proud his family was of him, made Demetrius’ moment extra special.”

Davis entered last Wednesday’s game against Franciscan 16 points shy of his 1,000th point. He passed the mark with a deep three-pointer with 5:27 to go in the first half. A thunderous roar swept through the Mount Aloysius gymnasium when Davis’s shot found the bottom of the net.

No one, however, was cheering louder than Carletta Nicholson, Davis’s mother.

“My mom and step father went crazy when that shot went in,” Davis said. “It felt great to see all of the fans cheering for me and I’m really glad my mom was there to see it.”

Nicholson was diagnosed with lupus at the end of Davis’s junior year, and his mother’s illness has weighed heavily on his mind this season.

“I think about her a lot. It makes me feel good when she comes to the games, and it makes me realize how precious time with your family is. I love her so much, and she is very important to me,” Davis said.

In addition to his mother’s illness, Davis has also mourned the deaths of his uncle, cousin, and close friend, who were all shot and killed in Philadelphia over the past twelve months.

“It has been a tough year for Demetrius. Life has really thrown him some curveballs, and a lot of other players would have just packed it in long ago. But he is a fighter, and has shown some real life resilience,” Loya said.

Davis graduated from Altoona High School in 2009. His family moved to Altoona from Philadelphia in 2008.

He is averaging 14.8 points per game this season, which ranks him fifth in the conference in scoring. Beyond that, Davis has helped Mount Aloysius set a new record for wins in a season, since the college became a four-year institution in the mid-nineties.

“Demetrius has worked hard to develop into the player he is today. He is an important cog in our team’s success.

“He played on the team last summer that won the Mansion Park League and was actually named MVP of the entire league. When I watched him hold up his championship trophy last summer, I knew good things were on the horizon,” Loya said.

Davis is also the individual winningest player in Mount Aloysius history, having been a part of more wins over his career than any other Mount player ever has.

“It was hard getting things going when I first started at Mount Aloysius. We were not eligible for any type of post-season playoffs for my first six years, and it was difficult getting players and keeping them motivated. Demetrius was a freshman on our first ever playoff team and I think he has had a pretty good career so far,” Loya said.

Davis and his Mount Aloysius teammates came within just two baskets of tying for the A.M.C.C. Regular Season championship this season. They will face Medaille College tomorrow (2/19/13) in the opening round of the conference playoffs.

“We were so close. We had the score tied with just a few seconds on the clock in two different games that slipped away from us. But I think those losses actually made us a closer team. We know we have the potential to beat anyone in the tournament,” Davis said.

His coach concurs.

“Demetrius is a special person. I am really glad he chose to play for us, and very much enjoyed coaching him for the past four years. I know Demetrius is capable of leading us to victory over any team we face,” Loya said.