Terri’nashje Burden might be the quietest person on the Newburgh Free Academy girls’ basketball team.

Her play, however, is the loudest.

She finished her sophomore year – her third on the team – as the third player in the program to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau. She did it in the Goldbacks’ last game of the season on Feb. 15 against the Washingtonville Wizards at Washingtonville High School.

“It was good, and I was happy,” Burden said.

Although it would have been even better if she had done it in the Newburgh Free Academy gymnasium.

But that’s just the way the schedule shook out. It didn’t damper the moment.

“It didn’t happen the way we wanted it to, but we had a lot of fans,” Newburgh coach Arturo Santana said. “And a ‘thank you’ to Washingtonville because they were phenomenal allowing us to take over their court and take a good 10 minutes to give a congratulations to T.T. on her moment.”

She entered the game needing 22 points to reach 1,000. Santana knew it was coming. He had been keeping track on his phone all season, and when she was about 100 points away, he told her it was coming because he wanted her family and friends to know.

Once she knew it was coming, she said she felt a little bit of pressure.

With about 4:10 left in the third quarter, Burden took a pass from Noelle Roberts at the top-right corner. She took the shot from the elbow on the right side, swished the basket and the Newburgh fans erupted.

Play was stopped and Burden was presented with a banner and a basketball. Play was stopped for about 10 minutes while Burden took photos with friends, family and teammates.

The banner and the ball are at home in her room, and she planned to bring the ball to the season-ending banquet to get it signed by her teammates.

“It was nice,” Burden said.

With the Goldbacks being the visitors, Washingtonville High School didn’t have to allow it, but they did.

“It shows me that their number one goal is the kids,” Santana said. “High school is for kids and that’s why we’re here as educators. So, by allowing us to celebrate her moment, it tells me they care about their students and our students, and that’s very much appreciated.”

The shot also pulled the Goldbacks to within two points in a game they eventually lost, 61-60.

If you ask her, she probably would say she would have preferred to win the game than reach a scoring milestone, especially as wins have been scarce for the Goldbacks as the team has grown over the last several seasons.

Burden, as a sophomore just finished her third season, and if COVID-19 had not wiped out the 2020-21 season, she would have been on the team as a seventh grader.

In addition to reaching 1,000 points, she is also in second-place on the Goldbacks’ all-time scoring list. With 1,016 carer points, she is six points ahead of Oneisha Staples, who finished her career with 1,010 points.

She is 510 points behind the program’s all-time leading scorer, Leah Truncale, who graduated in 1998. She could eclipse that next season. If the Goldbacks play 20 games last season, she will need to average 25.5 points per game.

With two years remaining, she also has the opportunity to become the highest-scoring basketball player in Newburgh history as the boy’s record is 1,636, set by Mickey Burkoski in 1955.

“It means everything to me, to be honest,” Burden said. “I’ve been playing since I was a little kid, and for me to be here is just great.”