Lakeview Christian Academy senior Anders Broman doesn't remember his first point, but he'll certainly remember his 5,000th.
Broman scored 49 points to top 5,000 for his career in leading the Lions to a 101-83 victory over Fond du Lac in the Section 7A boys basketball quarterfinals Saturday before a near-capacity crowd at Duluth Denfeld.
"This was special, and it was nice to have all my family here, along with the great teammates and coaching staff that we have," Broman said after adding to his state-record career scoring total, which now stands at 5,025 points. "This was an award for all of us. This was really a team accomplishment. I couldn't have done it without them."
Rather fittingly, Broman's 5,000th point came on an assist from his younger brother, Bjorn, who drew the defense in around him and kicked the ball out to Anders for a wide open 3-pointer from the top of the key with about 7 minutes left in the first half.
"I wasn't sure who passed the ball to me, but it's nice that it came from him," Anders Broman said of his brother. "He has always been there for me, outside of basketball as well. It's nice that he got it. He knows when to score and he knows when to dish. He's really a floor general out there."
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Broman finished with five 3-pointers and has shown increased range and shooting accuracy as he has matured and honed his game.
"I really don't have a favorite spot, but I like the top of the key," Broman said. "I'll take 'em wherever I can get open."
That's certainly the case when you've scored more than 5,000 points and are the state's all-time leading scorer.
After a timeout, the PA announcer noted the milestone, and Broman acknowledged the warm response from the crowd with a wave from the team huddle. By that time, the Lions (18-10) already were up 39-19 and well on their way to a Section 7A semifinal matchup with Ely (23-4) on Wednesday at Romano Gym. Lakeview beat Ely 78-65 in a regular-season matchup two weeks ago.
Bjorn Broman finished with 27 points Saturday and at least a half-dozen assists to his brother, but none as special as the one that went to No. 10 for point No. 5,000.
"It's a pretty consistent pattern," Lakeview coach Bob Newstrom said of the Broman connection.
Trevontae Brown had 41 points to lead Fond du Lac (17-8), including seven of the game's 20 3-pointers, while Davonte Williamson added 21. Both players are familiar with Broman through summer pickup games.
Fond du Lac was hurt by foul trouble and a short bench, with third-leading scorer Bruce Martineau fouling out about 3 minutes into the second half with no points. The Ogichidaag have only one senior and should be a section contender next season, featuring an up-tempo style similar to Lakeview Christian. On Saturday, they just didn't have enough firepower to keep pace.
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"Lakeview was tougher than I expected," Fond du Lac coach Earl Otis said. "Anders Broman does everything for them, and he was much better defensively than we thought he'd be, to be honest.
"I figured we'd need about 20 points from Martineau to have a chance. He is also one of our top defenders, so it's tough to play these guys when he's sitting next to me."
After the game, Anders Broman received a commemorative ball.
"Anders is a remarkable young man and wonderful teammate," Newstrom said. "All I can say is we're grateful that he's on our team -- and that we don't have to defend him."
Even Broman was taken aback while reflecting on a varsity career that started in seventh grade.
"It's crazy, time goes by so fast," Broman said. "I remember my first game, but I don't remember my first basket."
Then he gave a sheepish smile and said, "That was a long time ago."
