She caught the ball at the top of the key, pump-faked and dribbled once to her right.
Then, with a sidestep backward, Erica Gribble launched a high-arcing 3-pointer that splashed down. It was a crafty move by a crafty scorer, one that few prep girls basketball players can make.
It gave Gribble yet another career milestone.
The senior point guard from Greensburg Central Catholic continued to add to her grand resume, scoring her 2,000th career point with 4 minutes, 23 seconds to play in the third quarter Monday night in a rout at Deer Lakes.
Gribble, a Richmond recruit who became GCC’s all-time leading scorer earlier in the season, needed 26 but finished with 27 in the No. 2-ranked Centurions’ 65-24 victory in Section 2-3A.
“I didn’t put any pressure on myself,” said Gribble, who scored 20 in the first half on the way to a 2,001 career total that keeps growing. “I knew I would get it in the next two games. It’s nice to get it, but points are points. I want to play for a championship.”
There it is. Erica Gribble hits a 3-pointer w/4:23 left in the 3rd quarter for 2,000 career points.
She's the 7th player in Westmoreland County history to achieve the milestone. First since Jeannette's Ciara Gregory in 2013.@GCCHSAthletics@GCC_GBB@TribLiveHSSN@erica_gribblepic.twitter.com/roXy8k1TcD
— Bill Beckner (@BillBeckner) January 13, 2026
Gribble, a Richmond commit, led GCC to back-to-back WPIAL titles, the first in Class 2A two years ago before the team repeated with a 3A win last season.
She not only wants to three-peat but also has her sights on a PIAA championship.
“It’s more about winning to her. That’s what she wants,” coach Chris Skatell said.
Gribble is the seventh player in Westmoreland County history to reach 2,000, joining Gina Naccarato of Monessen (3,364), Charel Allen of Monessen (3,110), Vanessa Abel of Southmoreland (2,327), Ciara Gregory of Jeannette (2,130), Jen Sabota of Latrobe (2,072) and Danielle Dawson of Greensburg Salem (2,007).
Gregory had been the most recent to do it in 2013.
Gribble, who is on pace to be the county’s third all-time scorer, is the 46th player in WPIAL girls basketball history to become a member of the 2,000-point club. She joins Geibel Catholic’s Emma Larkin, who also reached the mark this season.
“She’s a great player,” Deer Lakes coach Dana Petruska said of Gribble, to whom her team applied a diamond-and-one defense. “She has great body control. She does things inside a lot of girls can’t do. She’s a natural, and you can tell she’s not a showboat.”
Skatell said there was no point restriction for Gribble on Monday so she could reach the milepost Thursday at home against Steel Valley. She had a green light to score and help her team win.
“No, it was, if she gets it, she gets it,” Skatell said. “As long as it was in the confines of what we wanted to do. Gribs is the best player to walk through the doors at GCC. I haven’t seen as much of the boys side, but in my 20 years — and I know Ashley Henderson was a very good player — but she’s the best. And a great kid. She is always team first.”
GCC (9-4, 6-1) rebounded in runaway fashion from its first section loss — 66-59 against top-ranked Shady Side Academy — as Gribble made 11 of 17 shots, including three 3-pointers, and added four steals.
Senior Jayla Peterson added 16 points for the Centurions. She assisted Gribble’s milestone 3.
“It was cool to pump-fake and step back like that,” Gribble said.
Gribble, who received her first NCAA Division I scholarship offer when she was in eighth grade, helped GCC build a 26-2 lead after the first quarter. She had 11 in the opening frame and nine in the second as GCC took a 41-6 lead into halftime.
Deer Lakes (7-5, 4-3) didn’t make its first field goal until the 7:13 mark of the third quarter.