22°
That's all the junior Cutter needed to reach the 1,000th point of her high school career, ever since last week's loss to Mahwah (44-26).
Ruf's mega-moment came in the first quarter of Monday's winning game against Tenafly (64-34) — and it seems it took more patience than skill to get it.
"It's all I can think about," the athlete told Daily Voice before a game in late January. "But I don't want to force it."
Ruf averaged 350 points per season her freshman and sophomore years.
"I put in countless hours of work by myself and with all of the coaches that I have had," she said.
Basketball hasn't always come naturally to Ruf. She only started playing in fifth grade, but focused her effort on softball.
"I just wasn't good at it, so I kept working," the athlete said. "When I started getting better and seeing results, I fell in love with the sport."
The next step is looking to commit to a school, Ruf said, something else she's not trying to force.
"Knowing that I reached this milestone is a big deal to me," she said, "and it makes me feel like all the work I've put in over the years has paid off."
Click here to follow Daily Voice Fair Lawn-Glen Rock and receive free news updates.
