Andrew Pace
In the world of basketball, it is a rare feat for a player to score 100 points in a single game. This impressive achievement has only been accomplished once in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA), when Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors scored 100 points on March 2, 1962, against the New York Knicks. Chamberlain's record-breaking performance set new standards and remains an iconic moment in NBA history. Aside from Chamberlain, other notable basketball players, including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Luka Doncic, have come close to the 100-point mark, showcasing their exceptional skills and contributing to the rich legacy of the sport.
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What You'll Learn
Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game
On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Philadelphia Warriors scored 100 points against the New York Knicks. The game was played at the Hersheypark Arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania, with the Warriors winning 169-147. This achievement is widely considered one of the greatest in basketball history, with Chamberlain setting several other league records that game, including most free throws made (28 out of 32) and most field goals made (36 out of 63).
Chamberlain's scoring average for the season was an impressive 50.4 points per game, and he had already broken the NBA single-game scoring record earlier that season with 78 points. With ten minutes remaining in the game, Warriors forward Tom Meschery noticed that the team's offense had shifted entirely to getting Chamberlain the ball. Chamberlain needed 25 points in the final eight minutes to reach 100, an incredible feat in itself. The crowd began chanting, "Give it to Wilt!" and his teammates were more than happy to oblige, with guard York Larese even passing up an easy layup to get Chamberlain the ball for his 96th point.
With less than a minute left, Chamberlain received the ball close to the basket but missed the shot. Ted Luckenbill rebounded and passed it back to Chamberlain, who missed again. Luckenbill rebounded once more and this time passed to Joe Ruklick, who also gave up an easy layup to get Chamberlain the ball for his 100th point. With 46 seconds left, Chamberlain broke free from the five Knicks defenders, jumped, and made basketball history.
The game was widely covered by the media, with The New York Times and The New York Herald Tribune running the AP story. The New York Daily News on Sunday wrote, "Basketball is not prospering because most normal-sized American youngsters or adults cannot identify themselves with the freakish stars... You just can't sell a seven-foot basket-stuffing monster to even the most gullible adolescent." Chamberlain himself thanked his teammates, saying, "It wouldn't even have been close to possible without them. They wanted me to get it as much as I did."
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Female players scoring 100 points
It is a rare achievement for a basketball player to score 100 points in a single game. Since 1913, 20 male and seven female players have scored 100 points or more in United States high school basketball games. The highest total by a female basketball player worldwide is 136, scored by Anat Draigor of Israel. Playing in an Israel Division III League playoff game, she was 46 years old and is also the oldest player in history to score 100 points.
The first female to score 100 points at the high school level was Denise Long of Union-Whitten High School in Iowa. She scored 111 points during a state playoff game in the spring of 1968 against Dows High School. That season, Long averaged a still-standing national record of 68.2 points per game. Her single-game total stood as the high school female record for 38 years until it was broken by Epiphanny Prince, who scored 113 points for Murry Bergtraum High School in New York on February 2, 2006.
In college basketball, Frank Selvy of Furman University is the only player to score exactly 100 points at the Division I level. He achieved this feat on February 13, 1954.
At the professional level, Wilt Chamberlain of the National Basketball Association's Philadelphia Warriors is the only player to score 100 points in a single game in the United States. On March 2, 1962, Chamberlain scored 100 points against the New York Knicks at Hersheypark Arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
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College-level 100-point games
College basketball games are not usually high-scoring affairs. The NBA has 48-minute games, a 24-second shot clock, and the world's best players. In contrast, NCAA men's basketball has 40-minute games, a 30-second shot clock, and only a small percentage of players will reach the highest level of professional basketball. Therefore, it is rare for a team to score at least 100 points in an NCAA game.
However, there have been seven 100-point games at the college level, two of which were recorded by Clarence "Bevo" Francis of Rio Grande College. On January 9, 1953, Francis scored 116 points against Ashland College, but this did not count as the official college record because Ashland was not a four-year institution. On February 2, 1954, Francis scored 113 points against Hillsdale College, which stood as the highest total in U.S. college basketball history for 59 years.
Another two 100-point games were recorded by Jack Taylor of Grinnell College. On November 20, 2012, Taylor scored 138 points, setting a new all-time NCAA all-divisions record. He scored over 100 points again on November 17, 2013, tallying 109 points against Crossroads College. Frank Selvy of Furman University is the only player to score 100 points at the Division I level, recording exactly 100 points on February 13, 1954, against Newberry College.
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International 100-point games
Internationally, the highest number of points scored by a single player in a game between national teams is 116, achieved by Lou Salvador of the Philippines in May 1923 against China during the 1923 Far Eastern Games.
The highest single-game total in worldwide organised basketball history, regardless of gender, age or competition level, is 272 points, scored by 13-year-old Mats Wermelin of Sweden. Wermelin recorded every point in his team's 272-0 win during a regional boys' tournament held in Stockholm on 5 February 1974. As an adult, Wermelin played as a guard for Hammarby IF, Järfälla and Stockholm Capitals.
The highest total by a female basketball player worldwide is 136, scored by Anat Draigor of Israel. Playing for an Israel Division III League team, the 46-year-old Draigor scored 136 points in a 158-41 win on 5 April 2006, making her the oldest player in history to score 100 points.
In Croatia, Marin Ferenčević scored 101 and 178 points in April and May 2006, respectively, during Under-14 Croatian League matches.
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High school 100-point games
It is a rare achievement for a basketball player to score 100 points in a single game. Since 1913, 20 male and seven female players have scored 100 points or more in United States high school basketball games.
The highest number of points scored in a high school basketball game worldwide was by a player named Heater from Burnsville High School, West Virginia. He scored 135 points in a game against Widen High School, making 53 of 70 field goals and 29 of 41 free throws.
Tigran Grigorian, playing for Mesrobian High School in Pico Rivera, California, scored exactly 100 points in a game in 2003. The game ended with a score of 114-47.
Wilt Chamberlain, who went on to become an NBA star, scored 90 points in a high school game in 1955. He later became the first and only NBA player to score 100 points in a single game, achieving the feat in 1962.
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Frequently asked questions
Wilt Chamberlain of the National Basketball Association's Philadelphia Warriors scored 100 points on March 2, 1962, against the New York Knicks.
No. Chamberlain's 100-point record has stood for over six decades, with Kobe Bryant coming the closest by scoring 81 points in 2006.
Yes, the highest single-game total in worldwide organized basketball history is 272 points, scored by a 13-year-old boy named Mats Wermelin of Sweden.
The highest total by a female basketball player worldwide is 136, scored by 46-year-old Anat Draigor of Israel on April 5, 2006.
Yes, there have been seven 100-point games at the college level. Clarence "Bevo" Francis and Jack Taylor each recorded two of these, while Frank Selvy scored exactly 100 points for Furman University on February 13, 1954.
