Making history: Eric Bamberger ’92 and Alexandra Bamberger ’24 just became the only father-daughter duo to score 1,000 points at the same school in NCAA Division I history. / Photos courtesy SMC Athletics
Like Father, Like Daughter: SMC’s Ali Bamberger '24 Scores Big in Record Books
A Saint Mary’s senior forward, Bamberger hit 1,000 points as a Gael, just as her father did more than three decades ago. "I was internally celebrating and smiling, but I still had work to do," she says.
Gael greatness runs in the family, it seems: on December 18, Alexandra Bamberger ’24 made history, scoring her 1,000th point this week as a Saint Mary’s Gael, just as her father Eric Bamberger ’92 had accomplished at SMC more than 30 years ago.
“There was no time to celebrate when it happened,” said Bamberger, a senior forward for SMC’s women’s basketball squad. “We had a game to still play and a game to still win. I was internally celebrating and smiling, but I still had work to do. Afterward, I couldn’t wait to go hug my dad.”
Bamberger scored that 1,000th point in the third quarter of Monday’s game against Cal State East Bay the way she typically scored most points—with a layup. In a matter of seconds, she and her father, Eric—who played for the Gaels between 1989 and 1992—became the only father-daughter duo to score 1,000 points at the same school in NCAA Division I history.
Eric is incredibly proud of his daughter's achievement, he said. "It’s a big accomplishment for her, and how she did it, and where she did it, right here on her home court.”
Aiming for 1,225 Points and Beyond
When Eric played for SMC, he ultimately scored 1,225 points during a very successful Gaels career. In fact, that’s Ali Bamberger’s next goal, and with another 18 games to go in the season, she’s hoping to attain the 1,225-point milestone that her father achieved in the months leading up to her graduation later in the spring. She currently averages about 10.2 points per game, so the challenge to reach 1,225 is mathematically attainable.
But, as Bamberger rounds the corner for pre-season, she has the University of Washington on the brain, where she played as a first-year student before transferring to Saint Mary’s. Plus, now that SMC is heading into conference play, she also has Gonzaga in view; she hasn’t beaten the top-ranked rival yet, she says.
After Bamberger finishes the season, she wants to take a year off and focus on obtaining her master’s degree. Her ultimate goal is to become a physician’s assistant, which means she’ll need plenty of clinical hours in a hospital in the coming years. So “going pro” is not at the top of her list, she acknowledges.
“I know what I want to do with my life,” Bamberger says. “It’s in the future to think about, but it’s not at the top of my list right now.”
"It’s a big accomplishment for her, and how she did it, and where she did it, right here on her home court.” —Eric Bamberger ’92
Ali Bamberger has played basketball since the fourth grade, and while she loves the game, she admits she didn’t start playing it to reach milestones like her 1,000-point SMC achievement. “I did it for the social aspect of it all,” she said. “I got into it to have fun and make friends.”
“It wasn’t until Ali was in the seventh grade that I started to notice how competitive she could be on the court,” Eric said. “She was doing a lot of great things and having fun, but I started to think, Hey, she could go on to play basketball if she wanted to.”
If she wants, of course. As this milestone demonstrates, the Bambergers are no strangers to achievement.
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Story updated December 24, 2023 at 4 p.m.