Goshen College women’s basketball players Syanne Mohamed and Zion Neat have both reached the milestone of 1,000 career points at GC, marking a significant achievement for the program and solidifying their places in school history.

For Mohamed, a senior center, hitting 1,000 points was a goal. “To be honest, it feels amazing to be the 19th women’s basketball player to join the 1,000-point club,” Mohamed said, “I am super grateful that I was able to accomplish this throughout my four years at Goshen College.”

Mohamed’s journey to this achievement has been unique. She originally pursued a career as a professional swimmer, but as she grew taller, decided to switch to basketball at age 18. 

“The journey was rough,” she admitted, “I’ve come a long way, proved people wrong, and made sure they know who Syanne Mohamed is.” Her transition to basketball came later than most, but through hard work and dedication she found success. 

Zion Neat, a fifth-year guard and forward, also hit the 1,000 career points this season. As a transfer to GC, Neat was unsure how her scoring ability would translate to a new team. “When I first hit 1,000 career points in my junior year, I was really excited but also really nervous,” Neat said, “To be able to get to 1,000 Goshen points in three years is a great feeling, but it makes me all the more excited to get to 2,000 total points.”

Neat currently has 1,887 career points between GC and Columbia International University.

Neat’s success didn’t come overnight. She credits her previous coaches for laying the foundation for her development as a player. “My coaches at Columbia International really helped me become a scorer,” Neat said. “Coach Miller played a big part by trusting me to come in as a transfer and step into some big shoes.”

Head Coach Tyra Carver, who has seen both players grow into leaders, reflected on their contributions to the team. 

“Zion and Syanne are both two of our leaders on the team,” Carver said, “Obviously, they’re phenomenal basketball players, but even better people. They bring a lot to our team and our program. They have the experience that some of the others may not have, and they’re competitors. They want to do whatever it takes to get the win, and scoring is one way they can help the team win.”

While 1,000  points is significant, Mohamed has always focused on her team’s overall success. “I’m not really a stats girl,” she explained, “If I did good but my team did bad, my stats didn’t matter because we lost as a whole. There’s no ‘I’ in team.” 

Mohamed credits her teammates and coaches for supporting her every step of the way. “I’m blessed to have people around me who push me to be a better player and hold me accountable,” she said. 

Neat shares a similar outlook. Though she reached the 1,000-point mark, her main goal remains achieving 2,000 total collegiate points. 

“If I’m being honest, I’ve been much more focused on achieving 2,000 points,” Neat said, “I hadn’t really taken much time to think about what a blessing it is to be etched into the Goshen record books. It’s definitely important to me, though, because I’m thankful for how Goshen has shaped me as a person.”

Carver added, “Both of those girls are very effective in multiple categories for us this year. Zion, for example, scored 20 of her 20 points  in the first half  [against Huntington]. When they switched their defenses on her, she locked in on rebounding and let others step up. I was happy to see that she focused on other aspects of the game.”

Carver emphasized that Mohamed and Neat will continue to play pivotal roles for the team: “I want them to keep doing what they’re doing, but we need them to step up even more,” Carver said, “They’ll need to put the team on their backs if we want to finish strong in conference play. Whether it’s scoring, rebounding, or assists, they’ll do whatever it takes.”

For both players, this milestone is just the beginning. Mohamed is determined to continue growing as a player. “I’m definitely not done,” she said, “This is just one of many things I want to achieve.” 

Neat’s sights are set on reaching 2,000 collegiate points, a goal she feels is within reach.