This post was originally published on this site.
Scoring 1,000 points in a career is quite the accomplishment. It’s rare, but yet somehow still seems underrated. It requires longevity in avoiding injury, great skill, and a bit of luck along the way doesn’t hurt. But for Jefferson native Dalen Gales (’22 Dragons grad), luck has nothing to do with it. Now in his senior year at Bryan College, Dalen has hit the mark early in the 2025-26 season.
Framed Print (11×14) – Dalen Gales
Framed Print (11×14) – Dalen Gales
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“Reaching 1,000 points was a great accomplishment for me and I thank God for everything He’s done for me,” says Dalen. “In high school I didn’t reach that goal, and so I made it one of my main goals for college and I put in countless hours of hard work to make sure I could achieve that. When I hit it during the game, I was so locked in and focused on winning the game at a the time, so when they called my name and said I reached 1,000 points, I was listening to coach in our timeout. But then the next game they called me out during the starting lineup and gave me a ball. It was such an amazing feeling and experience to have everyone cheer your name and clap for you.”
Reaching such a big milestone also means earning your way fairly quickly into the rotation and lineup. Dalen wasted no time in making a name for himself for the Lions. He wasn’t a starter, but played in 30 games while dropping in 159 total points (5.3/game) and adding 49 rebounds, 13 assists, 13 steals, five blocks, and 20 3-pointers in that 22-23 season. That experience was crucial.
“It really helped me a lot playing as a freshman because I got the chance to see how different and faster the game was in college than in high school early in my career,” adds Dalen. “I learned a lot from my older teammates and I transitioned from high school to college much faster, and my confidence grew stronger and that next year I was starting as a sophomore.”
That sophomore 2023-24 season, he started 20 games and played in 21. He averaged 14.1 points per game (296 PTS), adding 107 rebounds, 26 assists, 25 steals, six blocks, and 36 triples. He upped those numbers in the 2024-25 campaign to 20.8 PPG (520 PTS), collected 142 boards, 41 assists, 24 steals, 17 blocks, and 46 3PT. That put him on the verge of 1,000 points with 975 coming into the season. He still has big goals ahead.
“My goals for this year is to win our conference tournament, and become the player of the year next season.”
Dalen stands at 1,011 points as of this published article, with 308 rebounds, 83 assists, 63 steals, 31 blocks, 106 3-pointers made, and 79 games played (47 starts). His ambitions after leaving Bryan are big, but the same attitude and hard work can make it a reality.
“After I finish playing ball at Bryan College, I want to become a professional basketball player playing overseas,” exclaims Dalen. “When I’m finish playing, I want to coach and train to help people get better at the sport that I love.”
Gales and the Lions are 4-8 on the season and 3-3 in Appalachian Athletic Conference play, though Dalen missed the first nine games of this season due to injury. They have won both games he has started since returning. He’s played in three games this year, and will limit himself to three more (six total) to preserve a medical redshirt to come back next season fully healthy.
Gales was a featured player for the Dragons, helping Jefferson to an Elite 8 and 25 wins as a senior. He helped Jefferson to 83 wins over his four years in the program, with two region titles, four playoff runs, a State Runner-Up finish in 2019-20, and the 2021-22 Elite 8.
