A rare site: Two players score 40 points in the same game

Wellspring Prep’s Zeek Jackson drives to the basket while being defended by Quinn Swanson (3) and Bradley Richards (35) of Fruitport Calvary Christian on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - There were so many points being put up on the scoreboard, it’s a surprise the light bulbs didn’t burn out.

It’s a rare sight to see a high school basketball player score 40 or more points in a game. It’s even more rare to see two players do it in the same game. It may have never happened in this area.

But it happened on Wednesday night.

Grand Rapids Wellspring Prep beat Fruitport Calvary Christian 92-89 in an Alliance League Conference game.

A week a go, Wellspring’s Zeek Jackson set his school record with 46 points in a game. On Wednesday he topped his own mark with 48 points.

His opponent, 6-foot-5 junior Bradley Richards, scored 45 points, two short of his own school record of 47. 

“I don’t think that has happened very much,” Jackson said. “So it was fun. I think it’s pretty cool.”

Richards didn’t see it that way.

“It was really good offense and really bad defense on both sides,” he said. “Our top three guys scored 20 or more and (Jackson) had 48. Nothing good can come from that.”

Jackson, a 6-foot-1, 155-pound senior guard, is a smooth player who can shoot from long range and is strong driving to the basket with both hands. He’s a good passer, too. He also set the Wellspring record with 12 assists on Wednesday.

“It’s more than him scoring,” Wellspring coach Fred Schweitzer said. “When guys are open, he gets them the ball. He doesn’t have any weaknesses.”

Fruitport Calvary Christian’s Bradley Richards drives to the basket while being defended by Wellspring Prep’s Zeek Jackson on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).

So was it fun to see two players score 40 in the same game?

“That’s just a reflection of the talent of the two players,” Schweitzer said. “We knew that coming into the game. (Richards is) a tough guy to defend because we don’t have any post players on our team. We’ve got some shooters, though. We average 10.5 threes a game. We’ve had as many as 15 in a game.”

Richards was just 6-of-14 from the free-throw line, which he was frustrated about. He said he had no idea how many points he had scored until after the game.

“I have no idea,” he said. “It didn’t feel like I had 45 points. It was a rough game. I mean, when you get beat on defense over and over, you feel defeated. I’m sure they felt that way, too.”

Jackson also said he had no clue how many points he’d wracked up, let-alone setting the the school scoring mark again.

“I didn’t know I had it,” he said. “I thought I had like 30 points. But it was fun to know I beat it. You don’t really know how many points you score when it’s a tight game.”

He drained two free throws with 18 seconds to go to seal the game and set the mark.

“It feels good,” he said. “I’ve been wanting to beat that record for a long time. So it was good to get it. And then I did it again.”

Jackson, who is averaging 31.4 points per game, has scored 30-or more in a game seven times. Richards, who is averaging 28.4 per game, has scored 30-plus five times. He also had 21 rebounds on Wednesday and is averaging 13.8 boards per game. 

“It’s cool to see good players in the area and play against them,” Richards said. “You just have to figure out a way to stop ‘em.”

Richards’ future likely isn’t in basketball. He’s a three-sport star who played football at Muskegon Catholic Central and is the best high jumper in Michigan and one of the best in the nation.

Jackson, who has committed to play basketball at Grand Rapids Community College, said he loves to play against great players.

“A lot of motivation,” he said. “It makes me want to our-perform ‘em, out-scoring ‘em and out-rebound ‘em.”

For Wellspring (7-4), Teddy Driscoll had 18 points, including four 3-pointers, and Trevin Flynn had 12 points, all on threes. 

For Fruitport Calvary Christian (7-5), Quinn Swanson had 21 of his 27 points in the second half, and Sam Zelenka had 13 points and a school-record 16 assists.. 

For more photos of Wellspring Prep, click here. For more Fruitport Calvary Christian photos, click here.

Wellspring Prep’s Zeek Jackson shoots a 3-pointer on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).