Lewis scored 15 of the first 17 points for the Eagles, and while she had to wait a bit longer for her milestone shot, she got it in the first half with a make in the paint for her 2,000th and 2,001st career points.

“I think for me, it’s just seeing all the hard work and all the hours I’ve put in to basketball,” Lewis said. “It’s a huge accomplishment and an accomplishment I couldn’t do without my teammates and my coaches and everybody that supports me. I’m really glad I have the people that I have around me. It’s something that I’ve worked for, and I’m proud that I did it.”

Lewis becomes the third New Ulm High School player to reach the 2,000-point threshold after Colton Benson (2024 grad) and Joey Batt (2019 grad). Lewis will be following both as she heads to play for Minnesota State University next season.

“It means a lot,” Lewis said. “The people who have also had it, they’ve worked hard and they’ve done big things. To be right there with them, it means the lot. All the time that I’ve put into the sport, it’s good to finally be there.”

Staff photo by Ari Selvey New Ulm’s Riley Wilson works against a defender during a nonconference girls basketball game against Coon Rapids Friday at New Ulm High School.

Lewis’s hot start came courtesy of several turnovers that she forced, getting steals for some easy points in transition to help the Eagles to a 17-7 lead. Despite quickly getting within 3 points of the milestone, Lewis said she wasn’t pressing to get the rest.

“I kind of just went out there and played my game,” she said. “I just felt good, so I let it fly. My teammates were getting me the ball, and there it was.”

Lewis finished the game with 35 points and sits at 2,017 in her career, fourth all-time in the city of New Ulm. Lewis credits the extra hours she put in to the game helping her to where she is today.

“I think it was a lot of discipline in myself,” she said. “Going to the gym, getting extra shots, staying after practice, doing all the little things. And then again, just being a supportive teammate. When I’m happy, other people are happy, and then we all get going and that gets me going. And being a good team player. It all comes down to that. And having fun.”

Lewis also had eight steals in the game, while Jordan Boettger had 10 points and six rebounds. Maggie Joyce added 9 points, six rebounds and six assists.

After the 17-7 lead, Joyce got a mid-range shot to go for a 19-9 advantage. A 3 from New Ulm’s Riley Wilson set the score at 26-11, then Lewis drew within 1 of 2,000 with a steal and a layup for a 30-13 lead. Lewis’s milestone shot put the Eagles up 34-15, and Lewis added 5 more points before halftime for a 40-22 advantage.

Coon Rapids came out of the second half with a 13-2 run as New Ulm struggled with turnovers. A mid-range shot from Joyce snapped the cold streak as the Eagles went on a 12-0 run, with Lewis scoring 6, to go up 54-35. Joyce and Leah Brustad hit 3s to make it a 62-38 game. New Ulm added a 10-0 run, led by two 3s by Boettger, for a 72-45 lead. Subs entered the game shortly after as New Ulm secured the win.

New Ulm finishes the regular season with an 18-8 and awaits playoff seeding in the Section 2AAA Girls Basketball Tournament for its next game on Tuesday. Lewis said no matter the outcome, she hopes to continue to be a positive influence on the school and community.

“I think just go out there and work hard,” Lewis said. “Show the people in the community, the younger people, what it means to be a New Ulm basketball player. Just go out there and have fun. That’s the main goal. Win or lose, just have fun and be supportive.”