The Manuel family might be redecorating soon.
Lia Manuel scored her 1,000th point as Mendham beat Morris Knolls 49-34 on Monday
night, so the senior point guard will have to find a spot for a commemorative basketball.
But Lia isn't the first in her family to reach the milestone.
Her father, Phil Manuel, scored 1,000 points when he was playing at Whippany Park in the
late 1980s. Asked recently, he wasn't even sure where his award was. But Lia knew it was on a
shelf in a closet.
Now, they may both be displayed in a prominent spot in the family home.
Or maybe not.
Though Lia knew of her father's accomplishment, it wasn't really a big topic of conversation
around the house. Father and daughter often talked hoops, but Phil Manuel said it was
"about the game, how it was, and how you can get better."
Added Lia, "The 1,000 points is unspoken, I guess. ... It's pretty special. I never really thought
I was going to get 1,000, with COVID and the shortened (freshman) season. But I've always
been thinking about it."
Family of successful athletes
Manuel remembers her parents pulling the table out of the dining room so she could shoot on
a plastic Little Tikes hoop. But she truly grew up on the court at Bridgewater-Raritan, where
her father was an assistant boys basketball coach for 17 years. Phil remembers her tagging
along to weekend practices as young as 4 or 5. Lia also accompanied him to summer
programs around Somerset County, where she'd put up shots before and after events.
Mendham coach Hillary Milner first met Lia when she was working out alongside the boys,
after Phil Manuel took over from legendary coach Jim Baglin in 2016.
"I knew right away she was special," Milner said. "She grew up playing for her hometown.
There's something magical about that. The youth kids know who you are, see you wearing
Mendham Basketball sweats when you're out, and 'Oh, that's Lia. That's Lia.' She's become a
big name for the sport in Mendham and Chester."
Finally a freshman, Lia quickly earned a starting role on a Minutemen squad loaded with
seniors. She had just 87 points as Mendham went 12-1 in the COVID-shortened season.
Remember when? Mendham girls basketball freshman voted Athlete of the Week
Manuel averaged 15.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.8 steals in her sophomore
season. The Minutemen got knocked out of the Morris County and NJSIAA Tournaments in
the second round.
Leading Mendham
Last winter, Manuel had team highs in almost every statistical category – 485 points, 140
boards, 112 assists and 97 steals – as Mendham reached the North 2, Group 3 sectional final
as the No. 11 seed
Manuel came into her senior year with 946 points, averaging 15 per game for her career so
far.
She scored her 1,000th point on the first of two free throws in the second period of Monday
night's game at Morris Knolls, after drawing a foul with 3:23 left. Manuel finished the game
with 17 points.
She is the eighth Mendham girl to reach 1,000 points since 1987. A plaque in the locker room
also includes Stanford University 1,000-point scorer Kelley Suminski and, most recently,
Joey Meyers in 2019.
"It's a tangible thing you can look at and say, 'I did this,'" said Phil Manuel. He still teaches
physical education and health at Bridgewater but retired from coaching to watch his three
daughters play.
Marissa Manuel, the eldest, was part of Mendham volleyball and is now an undergraduate at
Louisiana State. The youngest, Camille, played freshman soccer and is now on the freshman
basketball team.
Lia's cousin, junior Maddie Pela, plays alongside her at Mendham. Her grandfather, Fred
Manuel, is in the West Orange High School Hall of Fame for basketball and football.
Both sides of the family turn out for most games, a vocal fan club of dozens in Minutemen
red, white and blue.
"I'm excited to play my last season with all my friends," Lia Manuel said. "I think I get
everyone involved, make good passes, do the right thing. I shoot when I'm supposed to shoot
and pass when I should pass."
A future in soccer
Manuel signed a National Letter of Intent with Murray State University in western Kentucky
on Oct. 8. She's planning to continue her soccer career in college, not basketball or lacrosse.
Donna Manuel, Lia's mom, played defense on the soccer team at Mendham and then
Villanova University.
Lia had 31 goals and nine assists in four years. She is a two-time first-team Morris County
soccer coaches' honoree.
Manuel also played defense for the Minutemen, though she's thinking about taking this
spring off to prepare for college.
Phil Manuel noted that Lia is totally devoted to soccer during the season. Even when playing
summer AAU basketball, she switched from using her hands to her feet in mid-August.
"Even since she's been little, she could pick up anything and be better than anybody at it,"
said Donna Manuel, who thought Lia would wind up playing basketball in college. "She was
better at soccer in fifth grade than I probably was in high school. Her athleticism is
unbelievable. ... I didn't really see (1,000 points) coming, but I always knew she was going to
do something great in sports."