Osborne netted 28 points to break the 1,000-career point total and Benson scored 20 to break Reece Melby’s school-high mark of 1,443 for the boys program.

Osborne currently has 1,018 career points while Benson has 1,448 with the Eagles next game Friday in St. Peter.

Osborne now joins his older brother Charlie as Eagles boys who have scored 1,000 career points. Charlie ended his career with 1,135.

“It feels great,” Osborne said. “I was not sure if I was going to get it [1,000 points] when I was younger because of my smaller size, but I was able to get playing time.”

File photo by Travis Rosenau New Ulm’s James Osborne fights through contact on a drive to the basket during a nonconference boys basektball game against Rocori on Friday at New Ulm High School.

And James gives a lot of the credit to getting to 1,000 career points to his older brother.

“It started when we were younger and we played against each other a lot,” he said. “Just having that older brother to help you grow in the sport helps so much. Going into high school, he was always there to keep me straight during games — just a good role model. And seeing him [score 1,000 points] gave me some motivation as well.

“He taught me how to be a leader — share the ball and be a good teammate.”

The Osbornes become just the second high school brother combination in New Ulm to score 1,000 points.

Minnesota Valley Lutheran’s Galen (2,053) and Greg (1,050) Holzhueter were the first.

Osborne said he knew he was close to 1,000 points coming into this season.

Osborne had 970 points coming into the season.

“And Charlie and I talked about that — we did not know if if was going to be this early in the season,” Osborne said. “Charlie told me not to focus on it in the game and just play the game — the points will come — and I just tried to focus on the game. Getting a win is more important.”

James now sits just 117 points behind older brother Charlie’s career mark.

Osborne joked that he’d rub that fact into his older brother’s face a little bit.

Benson said that he remembers watching Melby play when he was in the seventh and eighth grades.

“It is like a childhood dream breaking his record,” Benson said.

“Being a young kid, you are always going to look up to the older guys.”

Benson came into this season 34 points away from Melby’s mark.

“So it just came natural and I really think that I have improved more on my court awareness,” he said. “I see the floor a lot better and you get that by playing a lot of ball. And I am finding my teammate more this year.”

While Benson currently is the all-time leading boys basketball scorer at New Ulm High School, Benson knows that there is probably a seventh grader — like he was — watching him play and telling himself that he wants to be like Benson and break whatever career point totals he ends up with.

“Get after it — do it,” Benson said. “Work hard and you will be surprised how far hard work will get you.”