Hopkins honored TT Starks for reaching a career milestone that the senior guard was unsure she had achieved.

The Royals recognized Starks for scoring her 1,000th career point in a ceremony prior to their game against Lake Conference rival Edina at Hopkins High School on Friday night.

“I think it’s a great accomplishment for anyone,” Starks said. “I didn’t know it happened already. I just wanted to go play well with my girls.” 

Starks and the rest of her Hopkins teammates played unbelievably well against Edina, cruising to a 67-30 victory that ran the Royals’ overall record to 12-1 and 2-0 in league play.

Starks finished with 10 points in a victory that she said was more important than career scoring records.

“I think with conference play, everyone’s going to give us their best game, and we prepared very well for this game and it showed on the court how much preparation (we) put it in,” Starks said.

Starks, who received a decorated ball commemorating her achievement, wasn’t the only one confused as to when she actually reached the scoring landmark.

“My teammates said I got it awhile ago,” Starks said.

Starks’ mother, who is in the stands wearing a shirt with her daughter’s No. 22 and pins featuring TT’s face, had no idea when it happened. 

Royals coach Brian Cosgriff cleared up the confusion. He said Starks achieved the mark in Hopkins’ 73-34 victory over Prior Lake on Dec. 4. 

“We didn’t find out about it until the holidays and we didn’t want to celebrate it then, so we figured (we’d honor Starks) our first game back,” Cosgriff said. 

Cosgriff, however, said recognizing individual records is important, but basketball is most importantly a team sport. 

“The important thing for us is that we play together as a team,” he said. “When TT takes something like that, she realizes it’s a team game.” 

Starks is Hopkins’ second-leading scorer, averaging 14.2 points per game. She leads the team in rebounding at 6.9 rebounds per game.

Starks averaged 8.9 ppg as a junior, and she scored seven points in the Royals’ 68-45 victory over Bloomington Kennedy in the 2013 Class 4A state tournament championship game. 

“TT’s best aspect is her basketball IQ,” Cosgriff said. “She works extremely hard and is passionate about what she’s doing. I feel real blessed to be able to coach just a fine young athlete.” 

Starks is committed to play basketball next year at Iowa State, a university she said was the correct fit for her.

“I just felt like with recruiting, you pick a school that is the best fit for you, not the big names or who’s going where,” Starks said. “ISU was that for me.”

Now that Starks knows she has reached 1,000 career-point plateau, she can focus on a different goal: another state title. 

Losing to Eden Prairie 51-46 in the Section 6 semifinals last year has been motivation for Hopkins, Starks said. 

"We don’t want that feeling again, so we’d do anything to not have that feeling again," Starks said.

Junior guard Ashley Bates finished with 15 points to lead Hopkins past Edina 67-30 in a Lake Conference matchup at Hopkins High School on Friday. 

The Royals (12-1, 1-0), ranked No. 1 in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News, got off to a fast start and quickly built a 20-6 lead.

Three-point baskets from junior guard Evelyn Knox helped Hopkins cruise into halftime leading 37-19.

The Royals continued rolling in the second half, outscoring the Hornets 30-11.

Knox finished with nine points, while senior guard TT Starks had 10 on a night she was honored during a pregame ceremony for recently scoring her 1,000th career point.

Sophomore forward Annika Jank had eight points and senior guard Jill Morton finished with seven for the No. 10-4A Hornets (8-4, 1-1).

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