Sports : 1,000: Viking Grant Sagan reaches prep scoring milestone

Grant Sagan holds the basketball he used to score his 1000th point Tuesday vs. Oelwein.

Viking fans celebrate the milestone..

Grant gets a hug from his grandmother after the game.

Vikings who helped Grant reach his milestone helped him celebrate it Tuesday.

The first 10 minutes of the Vinton-Shellsburg/Oelwein basketball game on Tuesday were among the worst of the year for Grant Sagan and the Vikings. They trailed by as much as 11 to Oelwein, and for Grant and his teammates, the ball did not fall through the hoop like it usually does.

The Vikings were still down by 8 when someone passed Grant the ball in the second quarter. He launched a 3-pointer; this time it found the inside of the net.

Coach Joe Johnson called time-out and asked the referee for the ball.

He then presented it to Grant.

The ball – ironically and coincidentally – has a model number with the number "1,000" – represents a rare milestone for a high school basketball player: 1,000 points.

Before the game began, someone passed yellow signs and a few numbers; when Grant reached the milestone, the Viking fans held them up as they cheered the senior.

The 3-pointer cut the Huskies’ lead to five; within minutes the Vikings had the lead.

The milestone took place during Senior night; the audience include Grant’s grandmother as well as a coach from Buena Vista who was there to see Grant on a recruiting visit. BV is one of the colleges Grant is considering as he ponders his collegiate basketball career.