High school basketball is a positive aspect of the educational experience that benefits students and the community.
Being a part of the sport encourages the development of teamwork, physical fitness, personal growth, and community unity.
However, there are few players who not only take advantage of the sporting experience but also evolve beyond it and create a lasting legacy in the history of high school sports.
Producing a 100+ points game in senior school basketball matchups is no simple feat but an extraordinary achievement. And only a handful of students have managed to accomplish such an impressive figure.
A few individuals even surpassed this milestone. Danny Heater of Burnsville High School hit 135 during a single game in 1960, a record that remains till today.
Most points scored in a high school basketball game are:
1. Danny Heater - 135
Danny Heater holds the high school basketball records for the highest individual scoring performance. Heater scratched 135 points on 26 January 1960.
During the game between his team Burnsville High School and Widen High School, the then 17-year-old rising prospect Danny forged a new history. Heater scored a breathtaking 135 points against the Clay County-based team.
At halftime, Heater had already tallied 50 points, and he concluded the game with an astounding 85 points in the second half.
Heater attempted 70 field goals and made 53 of them. He also tried 41 free throws and made 29 of them. Besides scoring, he grabbed 32 rebounds and contributed 7 assists to his teammate.
The 6-foot-tall forward's 135-point record exceeds Wilt Chamberlain's NBA record of 100 by 35 points.
2. Johnny Morris - 127
Johnny Morris is the second highest scoring high school basketball player in one game. Morris scored an astonishing 127 points against Mary Smith in 1961.
One of the most prolific individual scoring displays in the secondary level came a year after Danny Heater pulled 135 points in the game.
Morris, a 5-foot-11 guard for Portsmouth Norcom earned 29 points in the 1st quarter of the 32-minute play. In the second quarter, he equaled that performance and contributed to nearly all of his team's 70 points.
Furthermore, Morris set a national record for field goals with 57 in a single game, placing him second in the nation behind Heater. The final score was 139 for Norcom and 33 for Mary Smith.
3. Dick Bogenrife - 120
Dick Bogenrife scored 120 points in a high school basketball game which is one of the best scores. Bogenrife sits only behind Heater and Morris.
During a February 6, 1953 game between Canaan and Sedalia-Midway (now London public high school), Bogenrife put out one of the best individual performances in a basketball match.
Against Canaan, he scored 120 points out of 137 total points scored by his team Sedalia-Midway. Canaan, on the other hand, only managed 47 points.
Bogenrife displayed exceptional presence on the court, scoring 52 field goals and sinking 16 free throws.
4. Wayne Oakley - 114
Wayne Oakley climbs up in the high school basketball rankings for the utmost points total in a solo match. Oakley notched 114 points in December 1954.
In a clash against St. Agnes, he put on a brilliant show scoring 90% of his team, Hanson High's points tally which led to a comfortable 128-26 victory over the opponent.
Even after all these years, the performance in that one game is still the best ever in Kentucky and it's also one of the top four performances in the entire country, as recorded by the National Federation of State High School Associations.
In the game, Oakley made 47 out of 55 shots and 20 out of 24 free throws, highlighting his shooting skills.
5. Pete Cimino - 114
Pete Cimino is listed among the best high school basketball players of his era. Cimino attended Bristol High in Pennsylvania.
The Philadelphia native is best known for scoring 114 points in January 1960 during a basketball game while in high school. This incredible scoring spree occurred when Bristol won 134 to 86 against Palisades, in a Lower Bucks County League match.
He managed to score all 69 points for his team in the second half of the game. And his grand total of 114 points is still the highest anyone has ever scored in a Pennsylvania state basketball game.
Later Cimono switched to playing baseball and joined the Major League Baseball (MLB) side Minnesota Twins in 1965.
6. Herman Saygar - 113
Herman Saygar was an American former basketball player and coach. His record of 113 points in a basketball game is still discussed to this day.
However, to understand the origin of this occurrence, we have to go back all the way to 1913. when Saygar nicked 113 points in an upper secondary level basketball game.
Herman was playing for Culver High of Indiana against the Winamac Community School. With his emphatic solo display, Culver won the game by a huge margin of 144 points as the score read 154-10.
Apart from basketball, the 1895-born athlete also spent a fair share of his career in football both as a player and coach.
7. Epiphanny Prince - 113
Epiphanny Prince is a household name in high school girls basketball. Prince is the 2020 WNBA champion with the Seattle Storm.
The New York City home grown created history on February 2, 2006, when she produced 113 points in a female high school basketball matchup. Though her score is 7th all-time, it holds the number on the spot in the girls' national prep record.
She accumulated this colossal number in a single game playing for Murry Bergtraum against Brandeis in 2006.
Epiphanny entered the WNBA draft in 2010 where she was picked by the Chicago Sky. After over a decade long career in the WNBA winning the championship and two WNBA All-Star, she headed to Galatasaray.
8. Denise Long - 111
Denise Long is a former female basketball forward who scored 111 points in a high school game. Long was active in the 1960s.
Hailed from Iowa, she marked 138 points in a game against Union-Whitten and Dows High on January 22, 1968. The game ended 136-41 in Union-Whitten's favor. Long scored 38 field goals along with 35 free throws in that match.
Besides, during her senior year, Long set a national record by averaging 68.2 points per game. She finished her high school basketball career with 6,250 points, which was then a national record for girls' basketball.
Later the the San Francisco Warriors selected her in the 1969 NBA Draft as she became the first female NBA draftee. However, the selection was declared invalid.
9. Morris Dale Mathis - 108
Morris Dale Mathis hit the 108 mark for St. Joe High School against Witts Springs in January 1955.
Mathis set the record for most points by a high school player from Arkansas, cracking a 100-point barrier and guiding his team to a dominating victory.
Bennie Fuller, a 6-foot-1 guard/ forward came close to breaking Morris's record in 1971 but fell 6 points short at 102 points. He is just the second HS player from Arkansas to accomplish this achievement.
10. Ken Robinson - 108
Ken Robinson joined the 100 Club after netting 108 points in a high school basketball game in 1961. Robinson played for Cassatt Midway High South Carolina.
Cassatt won the game 130-30 against Ruby South with one of the biggest score differences in high schooling history. Robinson was the match's MVP who alone grabbed 108 points.
He scored 46 during the first half but took Ruby's defense by storm in the second half during which he got 62 points. His tally of 108 points came from a combination of 48 field goals and 12 free throws.
