Gamecocks signee Fulwiley hits milestone, gets All-American honor on same night
MiLaysia Fulwiley capped off her final home game in style Friday night.
The Keenan High School guard and South Carolina signee received her McDonald’s All-American Game jersey at halftime and eclipsed 3,000 points in her career minutes later in helping the Raiders to a 92-47 win over Saluda in the second round of the Class 2A playoffs.
Keenan will travel to Silver Bluff on Tuesday in the third round.
“I was just ready to get my 3,000-point ball and my McDonald’s jersey,” Fulwiley said after the game. “I was just ready to see all the goals I set out to accomplish come to light.”
Fuwiley said she spent time leading up to the game Friday thinking about the honor and milestone. Keenan had a half-day of school, which gave her more time to reflect on things.
Fulwiley has been the cornerstone of the program since being called up to the varsity before the playoffs as a seventh-grader.
“It was overwhelming a little bit, but I made sure I stayed focused and focused on the main goal, which was winning this game,” she said.
Fulwiley went into the game needing 21 points for 3,000. She spent much of the first quarter on the bench after picking up her second foul early. But the future Gamecock made up for it in the second quarter by scoring 14 points and putting the Raiders up 47-20.
The milestone moment came with 5:16 left in the third quarter as Fulwiley nailed a deep 3-pointer. After the shot, she raised her hands in the air and was mobbed by her teammates.
The game was briefly stopped and Fulwiley was awarded a commemorative ball for the milestone.
“We knew she was talented and had the possibility to score a lot of points for us. It kind of came into reality when she scored 1,000 points her freshman year,” Keenan coach Reggie McLain said. “It is special to score 3,000 points and be a McDonald’s All-American.”
Fulwiley finished with 26 points Friday and has 3,005 in her career. She sat out much of the fourth quarter with the Raiders up by a large margin.
Fulwiley became the eighth player in state history to go over the 3,000-point mark. East Clarendon’s Talaysia Cooper accomplished it last year, and the two will be teammates next year at South Carolina.
Camden junior Joyce Edwards projects to be the next one to hit the mark — with 2,875 career points and a whole year left.
“Welcome to the 3k gang! It’s only a hand full of us buckets that did this! Proud of you! Welcome to the Klub,” tweeted Khadijah Sessions, a former Myrtle Beach and USC standout and 3,000-point club member.
Fulwiley has one more accomplishment on her mind: another state championship. She has led the Raiders to five title appearances and four championships, including three straight.
Keenan is three wins away from its fourth title in a row.
“Me and my teammates are going to continue to keep working as hard as we have been all season and hopefully we can get it done,” Fulwiley said.
Boys Playoff Scores
Class 4A
Irmo 86, West Florence 60
I: Madden Collins 29, Brandon Crawford 15, Jonathan White 14, Te’Andre Summons 11, AJ Brand 10, Mason Collins 5, Hopkins 2.
Wilson 48, Ridge View 45
RV: Perez 5, Davis 4, McDaniel 4, Smith 3, Corbett 9, Stephens 9, Jayden Pretty 11. W: Boston 5, T. Thompson 6, X. Brown 2, Leonard 8, B. Thompson 3, J. Brown 2, Waiters 2, Josh Green 10, Merel Burgess 10
Class 3A Boys
Crestwood 70, Dreher 56
D: Halen Moss 15, Jordan Brown 12, Austin Glasscho 12
Lower Richland 61, Manning 49
LR: Alex Atkinson 20, Arturo Overton 17, Ethan Mays 10. M: Jeh Hilton 16, Jeffery Ceasar 19, Justin Daniels 11.
Girls Playoff Scores
Class 5A
Lexington 42, Rock Hill 39
L: Maggie Green 11, Lytes 2, Yanity 9, Izzy Saville 10, Garner 8, Misick-Rivas 2.
Spring Valley 64, Woodmont 56
SV: Humphrey 4, Green 7, Entzminger 5, JaiDah Liebert 24, Zie’l Ratchford 16, James 2, Crosland 6
Stall 69, Dutch Fork 63
DF: Hillary Offing 19, Antoinet Cheeseboro 15, Aaliyah Lee 14, Spratley 5, Monroe 4, Anderson 4, Jackson 2. S: Jadein Haynes 20, Darnaishia Gadsden-Goss 14, Talasha Walker 14, Makayla Walters, Williams 8
Stratford 49, River Bluff 15
RB: Baker 3, M. Tucker 2, J. Tucker 5, Tifre 1, Johnson 4. S: Brown 7, Prudhomme 9, Cook 9, Griffin 5, Mustapher 16, Hamilton 3
Class 2A
Fairfield Central 71, Blacksburg 59
FC: Jazzlyn McMillan 27, Jordyn Adams 24, Zanariah Yarborough 14
Gray Collegiate 88, Mid-Carolina 27
GC: Maliyah Mason 26, Kandace Walker Lee 16, Jordan Mintz 14
Keenan 92, Saluda 47
S: Jessica Means 11, Kaylen Nick 17, Tamia Daniels 13, Springs 6, Stevens 1.K: MiLaysia Fulwiley 26, Tierra Grifin 21, Tanaja Kennedy 17, Brown 8, J. Fulwiley 9, Sutton 2, Johnson 4, Kennedy-Groomes 6.
SCISA 4A
First Baptist 54, Cardinal Newman 17
Pinewood Prep 42, Ben Lippen 39
BL: Alexis Jacobs 15, Alexander 2, Eden Hester 11, Combs 6, Bailey 5.
Hammond 71, Laurence Manning 38
H: Samira Khalil 23, Kayce Hyman 23, Adams 5, Inman 2, Evans 4, Earle 5, Davies 4, Campbell 3, Waites 2.
SCISA 3A
Greenwoood Christian 43, Northside Christian 37
This story was originally published February 17, 2023 at 9:36 PM with the headline "Gamecocks signee Fulwiley hits milestone, gets All-American honor on same night."
