Most Points Scored In NCAA Tournament Game By One Player

Publish date: 2024-05-04

March Madness has witnessed some outstanding displays of individual talent throughout its history. One particular feat that stands out is the incredible scoring performance in a single NCAA basketball game.

Most points scored in NCAA tournament game by one player is 138 by Jack Taylor. Taylor achieved the milestone on 20 November 2012 in Division III.

Apart from him, Frank Selvy is the sole player in NCAA history to accomplish a 100-point game.

Here are the top 5 players with the most points scored in a college basketball game:

1. Jack Taylor - 138

Jack Taylor from Grinnell Pioneers broke the record for most points in NCAA basketball history in 2012. Taylor scored an astonishing 138 points in a single game.

The 5-foot-10 California native joined Grinnell College in Iowa after spending a season at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2012.

At Grinnell, Taylor excelled and during his three-season tenure at the college, he came very close to breaking nearly all of the college's scoring records.

His incredible achievements peaked when he went on to produce one of the dominant individual performances in college sports. On November 20, 2012, Taylor produced 138 points against Faith Baptist in the NCAA Division III tournament.

This still stands as the highest-scoring performance ever in a game in NCAA basketball. Jack also scored 109 points in 2013.

2. Frank Selvy - 100

Frank Selvy is a two time NBA All Star who is the only player to score 100 points in NCAA Division I game. Selvy attained the feat on 13 February 1954.

He was playing for Furman University against Newberry College. Frank's remarkable 100-point game happened during his last year in college basketball.

It was a special night because Furman Paladins head coach, Lyles Alley, had named it "Frank Selvy Night" to honor him.

Selvy made an incredible 41 out of 66 field goals and 18 out of 22 free throws. He even scored his final two points with a long shot from near the middle of the court just before the final whistle.

After finishing college, Frank entered the 1954 NBA draft and the Baltimore Bullets chose him as the 1st overall pick.

3. Paul Arizin - 85

Paul Arizin is a former Philadelphia Warriors standout who played his college basketball career at Villanova Wildcats. Arizin spent three years playing for Villanova.

The 1956 NBA champion was a prolific scoring forward at Villanova University prior to being selected by the Warriors.

In 1950, he became the best college basketball player in the country by scoring an impressive 25.3 points per game. He also finished the year as the top scorer in all of college basketball.

On February 12, 1949, Arizin scored 85 points when playing against the Naval Air Materials Center team. He once even scored over 100 points in a game while he was at Villanova.

However, the NCAA did not officially acknowledge that game because the opponent was a junior college, not a regular college team.

4. Freeman Williams - 81

Freeman Williams is among the elite group of basketball players to have scored 80+ points in a single NCAA game. Williams pulled 81 points in 1978.

Against Rocky Mountain College on February 3, 1978, the Portland State guard did the unthinkable. 

Williams went to Portland State University, where he became the school's top scorer of all time. He even led all of Division I in scoring in 1977 and 1978. Freeman is also one of the top three scorers in Division I history, behind Pete Maravich and Antoine Davis.

In 1978, Williams declared to go for the NBA draft and the Boston Celtics picked him. But he commenced his NBA career in 1978 with the San Diego Clippers.

His scoring spree continued as Williams netted 51 points in a game versus the Phoenix Suns in January 1980.

5. Bill Mlkvy - 73

Bill Mlkvy scored 73 points during an NCAA college basketball game in 1951. Mlkvy guided Temple Owls to a dominating victory against Wilkes.

The ex-NBA forward claimed the title of NCAA scoring leader in 1951. He joined Temple University in 1949 and played until 1952.

Following his college basketball sessions, Mlkvy was ready for a new challenge and entered the NBA draft. The Philadelphia Warriors selected him as the territorial pick in 1952.

But the 6-foot-4 small forward had a brief stint in the NBA, playing for just a single season. Mlkvy tallied 181 points, provided 62 assists, and secured 101 rebounds.

6. Kevin Bradshaw - 72

Kevin Bradshaw created history for the NCAA most points in a game against Division I opponents. Bradshaw scratched 72 points against Loyola Marymount in 1991.

On January 5, Bradshaw scored 72 points playing for the Gulls. But despite his individual brilliance, his team suffered a 186–140 defeat to Loyola Marymount University.

He set a new record in college basketball for scoring the most points against a Division I opponent. Before that, the record was held by Pete Maravich.

Bradshaw continued his outstanding performance by becoming the NCAA's top scorer during his senior year in 1990-91, averaging 37.6 points per game.

His college journey concluded with a total of 2,804 points, a record that currently ranks him at 16th on the NCAA tournament records scoring chart.

7. Pete Maravich - 68

Pete Maravich was a decorated American basketball player who went to LSU. Maravich spent three seasons at LSU making his total points tally to 3,667.

He maintained an average of 44.2 points per game for LSU and set a new NCAA Division I highest career total record by accumulating 3,667 points in 83 games.

Maravich, an NBA Hall of Fame, scored 68 points, his personal best in a game against Alabama on February 7, 1970. Alabama Crimson Tide basketball team is arguably the best NCAA team and currently sits at the top of the college basketball leaderboard.

To score such substantial points against one of the top-tier clubs is itself an extraordinary accomplishment.

NCAA Basketball Rankings 2024

Alabama1,508 points
Houston1,404 points
Purdue1,367 points
Kansas1,303 points
Texas1,276 points
Marquette1,244 points
UCLA1,209 points

8. Calvin Murphy - 68

One of the dazzling individual displays in the NCAA basketball was that of Calvin Murphy in 1968. Murphy hit 68 points for Niagara versus Syracuse.

The 5'9" point guard had a luxuriant collegiate career at Niagara University playing for the Purple Eagles. Calvin scored 2,548 points, averaging 33.1 points per game throughout his three-year tenure in the NCAA tournament.

One of his most outstanding performances occurred when he scored 68 points against Syracuse University at Niagara's Gallagher Center.

The three-time All-American was picked by the San Diego Rockets (presently Houston Rockets) in the 1970 NBA Draft. Murphy spent 13 seasons in the NBA accumulating 17,949 career points (17.9 PPG) and 1,165 steals.

9. Darrell Floyd - 67

Darrell Floyd bragged 67 points for Furman Paladins against Morehead State in February 1955. In recognition of his immense contributions, the Paladins retired his jersey number #33.

After completing his high school, Floyd enrolled at Wingate University. In his one and only season there, he was anointed a Junior College All-American. After that, he switched to Furman University, where he played for three years.

Floyd's 67-point game during a win against Morehead State stands as the 9th-highest scoring total in NCAA annals for a single game.

Darrell Floyd NCAA highlights

10. Anthony Roberts - 66

Anthony Roberts played college basketball at Oral Roberts University for four years. Roberts averaged 34.0 points and 9.2 rebounds per game in his senior season.

On February 19, 1977, Roberts scored 66 points in a game against North Carolina A&T, and then, on March 9, 1977, he scored 65 points when facing Oregon. With that he became the only second player to hit 60+ points in an NCAA Division I game more than once. 

Moreover, his 65-point performance against Oregon in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), established a record that remains unbroken to this day.

The 2022 NBA champion Denver Nuggets recruited Roberts in the NBA Draft on June 10, 1977.

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