Arlington, MA. 2/12/19. On the evening of February 1 in a breathtaking overtime win at Lexington, Arlington basketball co-captain senior James Gascoigne, scored his 1000th career point.
A four year starter and three time Middlesex League all-star, the man of many low post moves became the first Spy Ponder since Myles Robinson in 2015 and the sixth boys player in Arlington history to achieve this landmark.
The Advocate caught up with him after practice just before the Belmont game to get his thoughts in the interview that follows. AA is the Arlington Advocate. JG is the 1000 point scorer.
AA: Congratulations again.
JG: Thanks. Thanks very much
AA: So when were you first aware that you were approaching this milestone…or were you aware of it all season?
JG: Coach Bowler told me when I was 75 points away.
AA: So you didn’t know until then?
JG: Well, yeah, I mean, I heard before the season that I was around 750 or 800 so I had a feeling it was coming but not exactly.
AA: Was it in your mind or did you just forget about it?
JG: I really didn’t think about it too much. I was just letting it come to me.
AA: So it was never a burden…when is it gonna happen, when am I gonna get it?
JG: Well, as I got towards the end I started to think about it a bit more. I knew I was close in that Lexington game.
JG in low post vs. Lexington. (Photo courtesy of KimSwift)
AA: So the shot in that game that tied the score with six seconds left where you got pushed and just put the shot up expecting the foul…
JG: (Interrupting) No. No…That wasn’t it! That wasn’t the shot! Everybody thought it was, but it was the three-pointer just before that. Yeah. (laughing). There just wasn’t a good time to call a time out right after the three, so time wasn’t called until right before overtime.
AA: So you knew your three-pointer put you over 1000?
JG: Yeah I did.
AA: Any special feeling after that?
JG: Oh yeah. It was just awesome. It was really loud in the gym. I was super excited about it.
AA: Do you remember who gave you the pass before that shot?
JG: No. I just don’t remember that.
AA: So you haven’t been able to buy him dinner?
JG: No. Not yet.
AA: When did you start playing basketball?
JG: In 5th grade. I was a hockey player up until then. One of my buddies said he was trying out, and I was one of the taller guys back then, too, so I went out, started playing, and I just fell in love with basketball.
AA: And you dropped hockey? Do you still play?
JG: Oh no. And we have a really good hockey program here, too.
AA: Do you ever second-guess that decision?
JG: No. No. Never.
AA: A lot of guys like you who were prodigies as young kids, started early for their high school teams, wound up at prep school. Was that ever in your mind?
JG: No. Not ever. I loved it here. I wanted to stay in the same grade with everyone, go through it all together with everybody else.
AA: Looking back on it now, did you make the right decision?
JG: Oh yeah. No second-guessing at all. It’s been a great 4 years.
AA: Game’s on the line, you’ve got the ball. Would you rather have it in the post or out on the 3-point line?
JG: Oh, definitely in the post. I’ve been playing center since 5th grade. That’s where I’d rather be.
AA: But you do shoot the three well…
JG: Yeah. I’ve worked a lot on that shot to the point where I think it’s good, but I still have a little more confidence in the post.
AA: Which opponents stand out in your memory?
JG: My Freshman year, I always remember a Belmont player, Matt Kerins. He was a pest to play against. All you had to do was touch him and he’d go down. He was great at selling charges. And then Reading in general. They’re always a pain to play against. Always a grind of a game.
AA: That’s funny. I thought you’d have picked Belmont.
JG: Oh yeah. Belmont big time. We’ve had a rivalry with them going back to kids travel teams. We know some of their kids. A lot of them played with us locally at Fidelity House.
AA: How about individual opponents? Guys who you’ve gone against one-on-one.
JG: The huge kid from Brighton last year (6’6” D-1 football player Jerrod Clark). He was really tough. And very quick on his feet for a guy his size. He was tough to guard.
AA: Do any moments stand out for you over your four years here?
JG: Last year, even though we lost to Brighton in overtime, it was a great game to play in. We played really well. (JG had 18 points.) I had a put-back dunk on a missed lay-up. That was fun. It was about the loudest I’ve ever heard our gym.
AA: Where will you be next year?
JG: I’m going to play basketball at Emerson College. They’re in the NEWMAC, so I’ll be playing against Colin McNamara (WPI) and Sam (Swift, also going to WPI). That should be fun.