Houston, we have a scoring record

By: DAVID HAMMEL - Staff Writer | Tuesday, February 3, 2004 11:57 PM PST ∞

SAN DIEGO ---- Timing kept the basketball dignitaries from San Diego High on Tuesday. It could not keep Charde Houston from becoming prep basketball royalty.

The San Diego High senior surpassed the most celebrated female basketball player in California history Tuesday to become the state's all-time leading scorer. Houston scored 35 points in San Diego's 90-33 win over visiting Patrick Henry, surpassing the mark of Basketball Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller in a game whose site and time weren't finalized until two hours before tip-off.

Houston now has 3,471 points. Miller, who starred at Riverside Poly from 1978-82 and later became a standout player and coach at USC, amassed 3,446 in her high school career.

Miller, now a sideline reporter for TNT's NBA coverage, planned to attend the record-breaking game, but that was before school officials changed the time from 4:45 p.m. to 3 p.m., early Tuesday afternoon.

University of Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma, for whom Houston has signed to play next year, also had to withdraw when the time was changed, San Diego coach Marlon Wells said.

The game was originally scheduled for 3 p.m. at Patrick Henry. After Houston scored 42 points in a victory at Serra on Friday, leaving her 10 points shy of Miller's record, officials from San Diego spent Monday trying to convince Henry officials to play the game in the Cavers' gym.

Henry officials acquiesced and agreed to a 4:45 p.m. varsity tip-off and 3 p.m. start time for the junior varsity game. Then early Tuesday, San Diego athletic director Andy Diaz said Henry officials decided they couldn't get their JV players to San Diego for a 3 p.m. game. So the varsity game was rescheduled for 3 p.m.

"There were a lot of people that probably missed it," Houston said.

The San Diego gym was near capacity when Houston first tied Miller's mark on a free throw then broke it with a jump shot with two minutes, 15 second remaining in the first quarter.

Teammates hoisted the 6-foot-1 Houston atop their shoulders as television cameras surrounded her and the game was stopped for a brief, planned ceremony

The game ball will go to an exhibit at the San Diego Hall of Champions, which will honor Houston at its annual Salute To The Champions Dinner tonight. The ball she used to score the record-breaking points will be displayed in the school's trophy case. Houston signed both balls.

Then she announced her next goal.

"Now I feel like I'm ready to lead my team to a state championship," said Houston, whose team holds a 15-2 record. "I'm still hungry. Without a CIF championship and a state championship, I'm not going to be satisfied."

Contact staff writer David Hammel at (760) 740-3552 or dhammel@nctimes.com.