HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS' BASKETBALL: LITTLEFIELD BECOMES EDISON'S ALL-TIME LEADING SCORER IN WIN (24 PHOTOS) (January 26, 2024)

By Brian Fees
Southern Tier Sports Report
ELMIRA HEIGHTS — As Payton Littlefield drained one of her patented long-range threes she made some history, but more importantly to the senior she helped extend her team’s lead as they beat Trumansburg 43-37 on Friday night.

While Littlefield was becoming the all-time leading scorer in Elmira Heights history, boys or girls, what mattered most to her was beating a team that beat the Spartans earlier this year.

“I wanted the win more than I wanted anything else tonight, so I’m glad that (three) kind of got us going,” Littlefield said.

Up by two with under five seconds left in the third quarter Littlefield pulled up for a long range three as a defender came charging out at her. The three fell, helping Littlefield eclipse the school record of 1,530 that was held by Dr. Erica (Schiefen) Shatara, a 2005 Edison graduate who is now a family physician for Guthrie.

“It’s crazy, it’s such a crazy accomplishment,” Littlefield said. “I’m so grateful to have been able to have it happen, especially here tonight with my team. We get a win, against a team that we lost to earlier in the season, so I’m super glad it was tonight. I’m so grateful for everything that happened today, it was perfect.”

For Littlefield it’s two years in a row with big milestones, both coming at home, as she got her 1,000th point just a season ago.

“Last year when I got my 1,000th point it was absolutely perfect,” she said. “It was on Hall of Fame night, it was here and I really wanted to get it home here tonight, because in the home gym is special. But, if I had gotten it tomorrow in the Hoop for Hope game that would have been just as cool, but it was off my shoulder tonight, so I’m glad I got it tonight.”

Littlefield finished Friday night with 28 points, including six threes. She now is one three away from 250 for her career.

For Edison coach Chris Mallette very few players could hit the three that Littlefield made for the record.

“Just one of her shots, there are only a few girls in the area that have that range,” Littlefield said. “It was one of her long range bombs, along with her record for points she now has 249 career threes.”

It’s been special for Mallette watching Littlefield grow as a player from when she started her varsity career in eighth grade.

“It’s just unbelievable,” Mallette said. “It’s been so much fun watching her grow over the five years from a knock down shooter when we had her as an eighth grader, and now to see how much she has to do for us. Her teammates have helped her so much an dI’m Sur they are just as excited as she is.”

For Littlefield the record is special but it wasn’t something she thought a ton about.

“To be honest with you I don’t think it has been on my mind,” Littlefield said. “Last year I think my 1,000th point was a really big deal for me and today is an extra added bonus I think the last couple of weeks when I knew I was within the record I thought it would be awesome to get it.”

The milestone was on Littlefield’s mind going into the game, but it wasn’t as stressful as when she went for 1,000 a year ago.

“Not as much as my 1,000th point I would say, because I knew this was something I could do over the course of the year, and if I didn’t do it it wouldn’t be a huge deal,” Littlefield said. “It wasn’t super on my mind, but as you can tell in the second half I really started to want it so I kind of started shooting more.”

In the first half a couple of threes rimmed out, but Littlefield knew she had to just keep shooting.

“My shot was on in warmups and I was shooting alright in the first half, so I knew if I kept pushing it would be alright,” Littlefield said. “To see a couple of layups fall the start of the second half also helped the shots go in.”

Littlefield knew that she had to be aggressive offensively down the stretch. The record three put Edison up five and in the fourth quarter when Trumansburg again got within two the Spartans senior drained her 249th career three to go back up five.

“I needed to definitely start being more offensively aggressive and once I started seeing it go through the rim a little bit,” Littlefield said.

Mallette knows how big the shots were, not just to get the record, but to help the Spartans win the game.

“I am happy it happened like it did at the end of the third quarter,” Mallette said. “Because I told them in the fourth quarter time out I’ve had her for five years and as happy as she is she broke this record she’s going to be more upset if we lose this game so lets get the win.”

For Littlefield it’s special to have her name up with the greatest players in Edison history, sitting atop the all-time leading scorer list above any boys or girls in school history.

“It’s crazy the other players before me, Erica Schiefen Shatara, Jenn (Parker) Tremaine (who held the record before Shatara with 1,471 points) and Chris, my coach (the boys’ all-time leading scorer with 1,068 points).It’s awesome, I’m so grateful to be a part of that list.”

Littlefield doesn’t know Shatara, but there is a connection with her family, as she’s her families doctor.

“I don’t, she’s actually my families doctor, so I probably should know here, but she’s not mine (doctor),” Littlefield said.

The win on Friday moves Edison to 7-6 on the year. Littlefield’s career has been full of success. Her first varsity season was the first time in seven years the Spartans made sectionals. In 2022 they played their first home sectional game in 15 years.

Littlefield had 12 of her 28 points in the third quarter. She now has 1,538 points in her career.

Gabby Milazzo had nine points for Edison, on three threes, two in the second quarter.

Harper Hoffmann, Camden Hoffmann and Maycie Bennett all had two points for Edison in the game.

Trumansburg got off to a fast start leading 13-7 after one quarter, but Edison got within one at the half, trailing 22-21. The big three by Liittlefield to end the third, and strong defense in the quarter, holding Trumansburg to six points in the frame, had the Spartans up five after three quarters.
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IN TOP PHOTO: Edison’s Payton Littlefield broke the Elmira Heights all-time scoring record on Friday night. . . PHOTOS BY BRIAN FEES.