Thornton against Elmore County last season Photo by Kyle Thornton

Thornton scores 50 in win

By Michael Butler

It was a career night for Tallassee's Rowen Thornton. The 6-4 junior hoopster went off in the Tigers' 79-38 win at Ellwood Christian on Tuesday, scoring 50 points.

"I got hot and stayed in the zone all night," Thornton said. "Credit to my teammates for creating turnovers and getting me the ball. I couldn't do it without them."

The last THS player to hit the 50-point mark was Jamicah Humphrey, who scored 51 in February of 2021 in an 86-80 win over Talladega.

After Humphrey's showing, Tallassee head coach called it, "one of the top performances in the history of Tallassee basketball." Thornton's effort also ranks among the best, Mixson added.

"Rowen is really growing and continuing to develop and learn as a player. It's very encouraging that he is just a junior and to see his progress from game to game."

Thornton hit seven three-pointers, but Mixson was complimentary of his other scoring tools as well.

"He is learning that driving to the basket, drawing fouls, getting to the free-throw line, using his mid-range, and crashing the glass are all ways to make his game more complete. He has always thrived off of the three-point shot, but now he is really adding to his offensive repertoire. In his offensive explosion the other night, he was really showcasing all these skills."

Hard work has paid off for Thornton.

"Once my sophomore season ended last year, I went straight to AAU ball," he said. "I played in multiple tournaments throughout the year traveling across the southeast. When I'm not playing or practicing with the team, I pretty much live at the gym working on the game by myself. Thanks to Coach Mixson for developing me the last couple of years. And thanks to my daddy for always pushing be to be the best I can be."