CINCINNATI — Woodward High School senior point guard Paul McMillan IV joined the Ohio High School Athletic Association boys basketball career scoring list Wednesday, became the 30th individual to score at least 2,200 points.
McMillan scored 28 points in Woodward's 80-39 win over Toledo Rogers Wednesday night to join the state's all-time career scoring list.
The OHSAA has a minimum of 2,200 career points in order to enter the state record book.
McMillan has 2,210 career points and is No. 29 on the state's all-time career points list. He passed Franklin Monroe's Mike Cross (2,202 points) Wednesday.
"It means a lot," McMillan said of joining the state record book. "I've been working at this since I was 3 or 4 years old and just to see all the hard work that paid off and all the long hours that nobody has seen — just me and my dad (Paul McMillan III) in the gym. I'm talking three in the morning, 12 at night, just countless amount of hours in the gym; I'm just glad to see it all paid off."
McMillan made a 3-pointer with just about five minutes left in the third quarter to join the state record book.
"It's just a testament to all his hard work and dedication in the gym," Woodward coach Jarelle Redden said. "He wants to be a great player. I don't think he's really paying attention to records or anything. He's just letting it come. Paul tries to keep his eyes on the prize. Obviously, he wants to win a state championship so the stuff that's coming in between he's happy, he's blessed, but he's just really focused on his team."
Woodward (8-1) won its second straight game in the Bettis Bulldog Classic at Woodward on Wednesday night in a game that was attended by University of Cincinnati men's basketball coach Wes Miller.
The Bettis Bulldog Classic honored the late former longtime assistant coach Dennis Bettis.
McMillan scored 33 points in Woodward's 70-29 win over Toledo Scott Tuesday. He entered Wednesday just 18 points away from joining the state's career scoring list.
McMillan said he wanted to play well this week in honor of his late grandmother, Dr. Sharon Ann Armstrong-Watkins and Bettis.
"I really just wanted to go out there and play for them," McMillan said. "That was really on my mind these last couple of games."
Earlier this month, McMillan became likely the first Cincinnati Public Schools high school basketball player to score 2,000 career points when he reached that milestone Dec. 4.
McMillan said he would like to keep moving up on the state record list. He said he has always admired the game of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, a 2003 Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary graduate who is No. 6 on the OHSAA list with 2,646 career points.
"The big goal is to pass LeBron and be better than LeBron," McMillan said. "It's just another step. I'm definitely grateful for the accomplishment but I just want to continue to get better and just keep going."
Woodward next plays at Dayton Dunbar Jan. 8.
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