Lambert Reaches 1,000-Point Mark

By WRILEY NELSON
COOPERSTOWN

Cooperstown boys basketball rolled to a 72-53 victory against Morrisville-Eaton in a Center State Conference Division IV game at Red Bursey Gymnasium on Thursday, January 4. Cooper Coleman contributed 13 points to the win. Cooper Bradley made 10 points and 10 rebounds. The Hawkeyes moved to 7-4 for the season and 4-1 in their division.

It was an especially big night for senior star Charlie Lambert, who put up a dominant 39-point performance and became the 16th basketball player in school history to record his 1,000th varsity point. Lambert is the 10th boy to make the 1,000-point club, joining his brother, Jack, who reached the milestone in 2019. They are the first brothers on the list. Jack won a Class C state title in his final season. Both brothers attribute much of their success to their father, varsity coach John Lambert.

“The season is looking good,” Charlie Lambert said. “My teammates and I put in a lot of work together over the summer, hitting the gym and getting comfortable with one another. We’re feeling ready for sectionals.”

“My teammates have been great through the whole 1,000-point chase,” he continued. “They helped me out, they fed me the ball when they could. I really can’t thank them enough… Tonight’s game started a little slow, but Morrisville-Eaton is a very active team and they kept us on our toes. We eventually got settled into a good flow.”

Lambert is no stranger to high-scoring performances. This season alone, he recorded 38 points in a win against Unatego/Franklin and 40 points to help beat Richfield Springs/Owen D. Young. Lambert thanked his father again for the years of coaching.

“He’s definitely hard on me,” he said. “My dad always debriefs with me after games, and we discuss all the ways we can improve. He’s a voice of reason and a source of stability. I really love to have him on the sidelines.”

With nine games remaining in the season, Lambert was bullish about the team’s prospects and about his own potential. He was more circumspect about the longer-term future, however.

“I’m still applying for colleges and working all of that out,” he said. “I’m going to college ultimately to get an education, so basketball would be on the backburner. Still, it’s definitely a possibility.”