Northwestern guard Erika Thomas generally spends time after practices working on her free throws. So, it only seemed right that she would make history at the foul line.

Late in the game of last week's Colonial League semifinal loss to Southern Lehigh, Thomas went to the foul line just like she has plenty of times in her career. She sunk both shots and eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for her career in the process, making her the first Lady Tiger to accomplish the feat since Sara Jones did it in 2013."I think everyone goes into high school basketball wanting and dreaming of hitting that," Thomas said. "I guess I was just lucky enough to do it with the help of my teammates, coaches and parents, and their support throughout the years."Going into that tough matchup against the Spartans, Thomas wasn't exactly sure how many points she needed to reach 1,000. Different sources had different numbers.But for Thomas, not knowing actually worked in her favor."I think it was kind of good that I didn't exactly know because then I didn't have a set number in mind like, 'Oh, you have to get here,'" Thomas said. "They were incredibly tough. They were all over me all night and making it hard for me."Thomas was a freshman when Jones hit that illustrious mark three seasons ago, and she got to see first-hand what it was like to actually do it."It was really neat to see her accomplish that milestone," Thomas said. "I was like, 'Wow, it is doable.' It's different just seeing the names up on the board up there, but to actually see one of your teammates and friends do it, it makes it a lot more personal."Thomas was the first player off the bench as a freshman and gained valuable court time alongside Jones and that senior class. And then, after three years of starting at the varsity level, Thomas followed in her role model's footsteps."Coming into a high school sport, you're not really sure what to expect," Thomas said. "Being able to play as a freshman and get that varsity experience was awesome. Sara Jones and Kaleen Suter were the two seniors that year and were some of my best friends, but they were also some of the best leaders I ever had."Thomas is quick to acknowledge the coaches and players she's been with along the way. She's played with plenty of talented individuals throughout her career, including Trista Cunningham, Sabrina Mertz and Sarah Segan just to name a few. Cunningham is now playing in college at Moravian; Mertz and Segan each scored over 900 points for their careers, but fell just short of that 1,000-point plateau.It showed just how difficult reaching 1,000 points is. But a consistent career and a senior season that included plenty of high-scoring efforts helped Thomas reach that dream of hers."But they are big reasons why I did do it," Thomas said. "They always helped me. They always encouraged me. They were great teammates and are some of my best friends. They definitely were a huge part in it."Coming into the season, I wasn't sure how I was going to be able to produce or if I would even have the opportunity to get there. As the season went along I guess I realized it become more obtainable."