CHAPEL HILL – On Tuesday evening at Richmond High School, senior Paul McNeil Jr. broke the NCHSAA single-game scoring record for men’s basketball that has stood for 74 years.
McNeil, who has signed with N.C. State, to continue his basketball career, dropped in 71 points in the Raiders’ 118-52 win against the Lee County Yellow Jackets. He went 28-of-49 from the floor and made 10 of his 26 3-point attempts.
The previous record was set by Bob Poole in 1950 when he scored 67 points as the original Corinth Holders High School beat Clayton 88-27. Poole went on to play basketball at Furman before serving in the United States Army and then as a Baptist minister for three decades. Poole passed away on January 18, 2022.
The record nearly fell in 2004 when JamesOn Curry, the NCHSAA’s all-time career leading scorer, poured in 65 as his Eastern Alamance squad beat Western Alamance 100-72.
McNeil followed up his 71 points with 37 on Wednesday night and scored his 2,000th career point as the Raiders beat Pine Forest 79-33.
