“It feels really good to achieve 1000 points. A very humbling moment for me,” Senior basketball player Aviwe Mahlong said. “It is not easy to achieve such a feat. A lot of things have to go right in order to get to 1000 points,” he added. 

“Over the last four years Aviwe has been a steady presence, guiding the program through ups and downs, and helping it grow. He has represented the identity of our team, embodying our values like passion, thankfulness, and faith,” Head Coach Melvin Felix said. “His approach and love for the game has been on display every day for the last four years and he has been someone our young players can look up to and follow since the first day he stepped on campus.”

Mahlong, who went to high school just down the road at Eastern Mennonite School, scored his 1000th EMU point on a layup in the first half against Washinton and Lee. Mahlong knew the moment was coming; he just had no idea when.  “I was not checking constantly but my teammates would constantly remind me,” he said. “Once I heard I was eight points away I knew it was happening that next game day, which created a lot of anticipation within the team which was fun.” 

Although the Royals fell short 70-75 to the Generals that night, Mahlong had an impressive game, scoring 20 points on his memorable evening. 

Mahlong averaged 9.4 points per game as a freshman, which increased to over double figures in his last three seasons. Mahlong currently has a career average of 11.4 points per game, with his career high coming in 2022 where he scored 27 points against Lynchburg.  

Mahlong knew this couldn’t be accomplished without the support of his teammates and coaches. “Everyone had a hand in me scoring 1000 points,” he said. “My teammates have always been very encouraging and would push me past my limit. They also know where I like getting the ball and would never hesitate to pass me the ball.” 

Coach Felix said what made Mahlong special was his loyalty and work ethic, which led him to achieve this impressive milestone. “He has put so many hours in the gym and has stuck with the team through thick and thin, and when he graduates this fall, it will be almost like losing a part of the team’s soul.” 

Mahlong continued to praise his coaches for the trust they had in him throughout his career. “My coaches have put a lot of trust in me since I got here and that alone gave me a ton of confidence to be myself on the court.” Because of this relationship with his coaches and teammates, he said he could “go out and hoop stress-free.”