There's really no way to quantify this, so if anybody out there knows differently, please inquire within. But the guess here is that something happened in the past few days that qualifies as basketball history in our corner of the world.

Can anyone else recall a brother and sister each eclipsing 40 points in games two days apart?

Put it this way: Most jalapenos aren't as hot as those Brennans right now.

Saturday in Norwalk: JJ Brennan, senior at Waterford High, scored a career-high 42.

Monday in Warwick (R.I.): Mia Brennan scored a career-high 49 for UConn Avery Point, leading the Pointers past CCRI.

That's 91 points for one household.

It's momentous enough to get JJ, generally a man of few words, to become downright chatty.

"Mia came into the house (Monday) night and said, 'J, I scored 49,'" JJ was saying Tuesday night after his team's season debut before Lancer Nation turned into a 19-point win. "I actually got mad."

Then he smiled. He wasn't really mad. Imagine, though, being a hoopster who gets one-upped by your sister.

"When she scored 40 in high school once, she says, 'you'll never get 40 in a high school game,'" JJ said. "I said 'bet.' I'm like 'OK, watch.'"

JJ's good fortune lasted two whole days.

Mia, who also played at Waterford High, helped get the Pointers within a whisper of a junior college national championship last year. Nineteen of her 49 points Monday came from the free throw line, illustrating a willingness to get her hands dirty. But then, toughness isn't an issue with the Brennans.

"I guess I just had some momentum," Mia said. "Once you have that feeling, well, you know how it goes."

Actually, most people don't.

Still a great story here for two kids who truly root for each other. They're always at each other's games. They're also relatively sure they'd beat the other in a driveway game of one-on-one. And if they teamed up for some driveway hoops and played two-on-two against two other unfortunate souls? You better guard them all the way to the nearest stop sign.

"Last year he started getting some minutes," Mia said of her brother, whose offensive explosion was among the biggest factors in Waterford's state championship. Brennan's emergence even earned him his own three-point call from GameDay play-by-play voice Casey O'Neill, who punctuated some of Brennan's postseason threes with "JJ ... hey hey!"

"This year as a senior, I'm happy for him. He's making a name for himself," Mia said. "It's like 'you better watch out for this kid.' It's fun to see."

It hasn't always been easy for them. Their mom, Gemma, has raised them with the help of the family matriarch, the great Marianna McGuirk, the grandmother whose selflessness has already secured her a place in heaven.

"You've got to overcome things. But we are always there for each other," Mia said. "Words can't describe what my grandmother means to me. She does everything for everybody. An incredible woman. I don't know what I'd do without her."

JJ said, "She's everything. I love her."

Marianna and the rest of the family can look forward to rest of what should be a fun season. The Pointers are 8-3 and now know they have someone who can get 40. The Lancers are 2-0 and now know they have someone who can get 40. Even better, both kids play somewhat stoically, never really allowing their emotions to overcome them.

Clearly, they have been raised well. They have a same scoring gene. They're understated. And they quite likely just accomplished something no brother and sister have not merely around here, but perhaps all of Connecticut.

Maybe it's time for another bet. Time for both of them to get 50, perhaps?

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro