It was a magical night in Higbee on Monday. Before a home crowd, senior basketball star Derek Rockett scored his 2,000th career point on a layup in the third quarter. And the team’s easy dispatch of Bevier, 73-21, marked coach Tanner Burton’s 250th career varsity win.

The win marked the 74th for Burton and his seniors.

“I think that says it all. You’re doing something pretty cool when that happens,” Burton said. “Derek is a special player and obviously a big part of a lot of those wins.”

Rocket’s 2,000 points is not only an impressive achievement, but the fact that he scored them all in just 90 games is herculean. A year ago, he reached the 1,000-point mark, also on this night against Bevier. Thirty-five games later, he scored scored his 2,000th.

“I think it’s pretty special how quick he’s done it,” Burton said. “It’s pretty impressive for him to step up and do what he has done. It’s pretty miraculous. You have to be proud of a kid like that.”

Rockett entered the game just 25 points shy of the milestone. But instead of shooting threes and attacking the basket right out of the gate, he played unselfishly and worked the ball around to open shooters.

“That’s the kind of player he is,” Burton said. “Derek would trade all the points for state titles.”

Rockett scored 14 points in the first half, entering halftime just nine points shy of the mark.

Coming out of the break, he sank a 3-pointer and three inside shots quickly in the third quarter to reach the coveted 2,000-point mark before a timeout was called in front of a cheering crowd.

“It’s pretty special,” he said. “It’s something not a lot of people get to experience. I was lucky enough to get to do it.”

Lucky or not, Rockett didn’t reach the mark on happenstance alone. The thousands of hours spent in the gym honing his skills between games and in the offseason prepared him for such a night.

And scoring 1,000 points in just 35 games is a feat unto itself. “There’s been a lot of growth in the past 365 days, stuff that has to happen for winning,” he said.

Rockett said it was important to reach the milestone in front of a home crowd that cannot always make it to far away conference games.

For his first two seasons, Rockett was the second-leading scorer on the team, on the heels of classmate Jordan Fuemmeler. The two helped lead Higbee to the state semifinals as freshmen.

Fuemmeler transferred to his hometown of Glasgow as a junior and had just reached 2,000 career points two days prior.

“I’m very happy for him. I think it’s pretty impressive that two guys who once were on a team together get to experience a very special accomplishment around the same time,” Rockett said.

Burton’s coaching achievements are just as impressive. He reached 250 varsity wins in only 399 games coached. This season marks his sixth with the high school boys and 11th leading the high school girls. And it was announced last week that he will become the district’s superintendent next year.

“It doesn’t feel like that many games when you look back at it,” he said. “It’s a fun ride. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to keep doing it when I become superintendent. I truly feel like I have a positive impact on these kids. That’s what it’s all about. The wins will come through their dedication and hard work. When I started rebuilding the program, I told the kids that as long as they kept working in the off-season, I will keep coaching. So far, I’ve held true to that, and they’ve held true to it. That’s all you can ask for.”

After the two wins Monday night over Bevier, Burton’s daughters, Quinn and Guinevere, presented him with a specially made sign commemorating 250 victories.

And reaching the milestone alongside his senior standout just made everything so much sweeter.

“There’s nothing more special than getting it on the same night as that young man who set the bar high for Higbee,” Burton said. “It exemplifies what passion and hard work can do for you.”

Rockett said he didn’t realize that coming into Monday’s game, his coach was on the verge of such an accomplishment. Burton won his 249th in the night’s opener, coaching the girls to a lopsided win over Bevier, 77-12.

“After the game, when I heard it, I couldn’t believe it,” Rockett said. “That’s amazing. That makes for a really good night for the both of us.”

Burton and the Tigers found out Monday afternoon they are ranked seventh in the state for Class 1. With a strong supporting cast alongside Rockett, the team is built for a postseason run.

“That’s our desire,” Burton said. “These kids had a taste as freshmen. That’s why we fought to get to the game at Mizzou Arena. It’s one of the reasons we’ve loaded our schedule.”

Last Thursday, Higbee pulled off a two-point win over North Shelby at Mizzou Arena. Rockett scored the winning basket just before time ran out (see story this page).

The Tigers traveled to Norborne on Tuesday after the Advertiser went to press. Next Tuesday, they return home for a game against Hale/Bosworth (6-1), which opened the season with a convincing win over Class 3 Carrollton.

On Thursday, Dec. 22, Burton and the Tigers will step onto another big stage when they take on Lathrop for the 12 Courts of Christmas at HyVee Arena in Kansas City.