Kayley Kovac tried to put it out of her mind.

It was simply another game the Jim Thorpe girls basketball team needed to win.

The Lady Olympians did just that, while Kovac added another chapter to an already storied career.

With 38 points in Jim Thorpe’s 60-42 Schuylkill League victory over Panther Valley Tuesday night, Kovac became the school’s all-time leading scorer.

“From the time I was little, it’s something I’ve dreamed of,” said Kovac, a Division I commit. “I dreamed of having my name hanging in this gym. And not only to be able to score 1,000 points here, but to be able to break the school record, with so many fantastic players who have played here before, I’m kind of speechless.

“It’s such an honor. I’ve worked really hard to become the player I am.”

Kovac’s layup with 2:36 remaining in the second quarter gave her 17 points in the game, and pushed her past 2012 graduate Celeste Robinson’s previous record of 1,691 points.

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“I tried not to think about it as much as possible, because Panther Valley is a much improved team this year compared to last year,” Kovac said. “So, most importantly, for our first league game, we needed to get the win tonight. So that was the first thing on my mind. If it happened, it happened. But at the end of the day, if I had 10 points and we won, I would have been happy.

“It was kind of like a rush of emotions, like happiness, tears. But it was a good night.”

Kovac’s milestone kick started a 10-2 run that saw the Lady Olympians turn a 23-16 lead into a 33-18 advantage heading into halftime to take control of the game.

“Let’s face it, Kayley Kovac is an All-State player,” said Panthers head coach William ‘Dapper’ Lynn. “She is so hard to defend. But I give my girls credit. We played well.

“We only scored 20 points per game last year. We had 40 against one of the premier teams in the Schuylkill League. We’re gonna get better. We’re gonna get better.”

The Panthers (1-1) hung around in the second half, cutting what was a 20-point deficit early in the third quarter to 55-40 in the fourth.

“Credit Panther Valley, with us not pressing in the second half, we kind of could never really put them away,” said Olympians head coach Rob Kovac. “I thought we had them a couple times, and they’d hit a three or two, and they hung around.

“Give credit to them, because a year ago, those guys would have packed it in when they were down by 20 points; and 20 would have become 35, 40. I think that’s a tribute to what Coach Lynn is doing up there.”

Freshman Erika Dubosky led Panther Valley with 15 points. Senior Christina Dacey added eight points, including two of the Panthers’ six three-pointers.

“I’m impressed with how we did,” said Dacey. “Even though we lost, it’s still a win in my book, because we played with intensity that I haven’t seen in a while.”

STUDENT OF THE GAME … After watching her grow up around the game, Rob Kovac couldn’t have been prouder to see his daughter reach such a prolific milestone Tuesday night. “As a father, I don’t even know what to say. From the first time she touched a ball, she fell in love with it. Kayley’s grown up in the gym ... To see her set the school’s all-time record, as a father, it’s an awesome experience. Good things happen to good people, and she’s a good kid, and she’s earned this,” he said.

SUNSHINE STATE OF MIND … Jim Thorpe will travel to Florida later this week for the KSA Holiday Classic in Orlando. The Lady Olympians are scheduled to face Bentonville (Arkansas) in their first game.

PANTHER VALLEY

Pascoe 2-0-0-6, Dubosky 5-4-5-15, O. Dacey 0-0-2-0, Hoben 1-0-0-2, Sheridan 2-0-0-5, C. Dacey 2-2-2-8, Filer 3-0-2-6. TOTALS: 15-6-11-42.

JIM THORPE

Richards 1-3-4-5, P. Kovac 0-1-2-1, McGinley 0-0-0-0, Condly 0-2-2-2, Scott 0-2-2-2, Montemuro 3-0-0-6, K. Kovac 14-10-15-38, Lignore 1-0-0-2, Gabel 1-2-2-4. TOTALS: 20-20-27-60.

Panther Vy. 12 6 13 11 - 42

Jim Thorpe 17 16 14 13 - 60

Three-pointers: Panther Valley – Pascoe 2, C. Dacey 2, Dubosky 1, Sheridan 1. Jim Thorpe – None.