MARIETTA -When Marietta High School junior Erica Dawson eclipsed the single game scoring record by tallying 41 points on Jan. 9, many people thought it would stand for a long time.
Turns out it lasted five days.
That's because Dawson simply turned around and shattered her own record when she scored 52 points against the Meadowbrook Colts on Saturday.
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Photo by Kevin Pierson
Marietta’s Erica Dawson, left, established a new single-game scoring record Saturday with 52 points against the Meadowbrook Colts.
"I feel like if you just go out and play the game and play hard your points will come. I don't go out thinking about how many points I can score," Dawson said.
Dawson, the standout guard for the Tigers, has simply been having one of those seasons.
"She's starting to play free and easy. That could mean trouble for a lot of people," said Marietta girls basketball coach Scott Cozzens.
Over 12 games this year Dawson, a lanky 5-foot-9, is averaging 29.1 points a game, having scored 350 points already this season.
But she's not just scoring.
In the game on Saturday when she scored the school record 52, including 38 before halftime, Dawson also had eight assists as she factored in on 70 of the Tigers' 89 points.
"All the fans up there appreciated it. They knew they were seeing something special," Cozzens said.
Special definitely describes what Dawson is doing on the court.
Along with her scoring, Dawson is also averaging 8.0 rebounds a game, 5.3 steals a game and 3.6 assists per contest.
She's shooting 77 percent from the free-throw line and 41 percent from both beyond the arc and inside it, having connected on 43 three-pointers and 80-of-194 from two-point range.
Perimeter shooting was a focus during the offseason for Dawson, as she's committed to becoming the complete basketball player.
"I feel like this year I finally started being able to do that (shoot from outside). Last year my game was more inside and driving and foul shot points. This year I'm able to shoot more outside," Dawson said. "Part of being a complete player is being able to shoot from the perimeter or go in and drive."
The hard work has certainly paid dividends early.
Dawson hit 10 three-pointers against Meadowbrook. Those 10 threes tie for second with five other players, including former Fort Frye standout Kourtney Booth, in state history according to figures provided by the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
