ELMIRA, NY – Tyler Cardello '26 will remember Feb. 15, 2025 forever. For starters, it was the final home game of the Elmira College Soaring Eagles' 2024-25 season. The team honored both graduating players in Aaron Lane '25 and Riley Spencer '25. It was also the day he eclipsed 1,000 points in his collegiate career.

Cardello, who nailed a three pointer 4:08 into the game, entered the game with 999 career points. In the previous night's game against Utica, the junior finished with a team-high 19 points to put himself on the doorstep of program history.

"It definitely was [a goal] coming into the year. I knew after the season I had last year that it was definitely a possibility and my dad scored 1,000 points in college. I really didn't think it was going to happen. Once I got to like six or seven hundred, I thought it was possible. I knew coming into it, it was definitely one of my goals. I didn't get to do it in high school. It's something that not a lot of people get to do," Cardello said of his big accomplishment.

"I didn't really pay too much attention to it, I knew it was a possibility but I tried not to pay attention to it. There's obviously bigger goals, but I knew when people were telling me I was close. My family was asking when they come out and I had no idea. I was glad that it worked out and they could come see it. People in the dining hall and professors knew I was close. I tried to block it out and told people 'I don't want to talk about it' because the more I talked about it, the more I think about it. I didn't want to put too much pressure on it," said the Scottsdale, AZ native.

His family, who arrived from Arizona to see the moment in person, were all decked out in custom "Elmira Basketball 1,000 Point Club" shirts and hoodies for the occasion. Cardello shared that it was "a little embarrassing at first, but definitely cool to see. They're very supportive in everything I do and they're very proud of me. My grandfather loves to do things like that. Looking back, I'll have those shirts and pictures forever. My teammates thought it was funny and they were all asking me for one."

Now sitting at 1,033 points for his career, it was hard for the junior to remember his first career bucket. It came in his first career game for the Purple & Gold back on Nov. 8, 2022. In eight minutes played, Cardello finished with one point, a free throw, and one rebound.

Despite averaging almost 16 points-per-game in 24-25, Cardello got to 1,000 just before the end of the season. He admitted that there was pressure not knowing when to have his family come out for the game. "I knew it was going to happen regardless. I still have another year and I knew eventually was going to happen. The thought of hitting it away or when my family can't come, especially the people that have supported me the most sucked. I knew they were coming out that weekend and I knew I had to get it that weekend."

Cardello credits his dad and head coach Casey McGraw for  helping him reach the milestone, saying "Coach McGraw was the first coach who really gave me a chance and I'll forever be thankful for him. He's been supportive because this is my first time as someone who is looked up to on a basketball team. I really didn't know what to do as a leader last year, and I've grown this year. He's been guiding me to where I am today and he's just been a really good coach, mentor, and a really big leader in my life on how to be a good person on and off the court."