Elijah Mobley made more history Monday night. After eclipsing the 1000 career points mark on Jan. 11, the senior set his sights on the single-game scoring mark and poured in 52 points to help Weston Ranch cruise past Linden 102-31 in Monday night’s boys basketball game at Linden. Mobley’s historic night included 19 2-pointers, four 3-pointers, and two free throws en route to the team’s 71-point runaway win against the Lions. It should also be noted that Mobley accomplished this in the game’s first 20 minutes.
“Once I got going, it just seemed like the basket got bigger and bigger,” Mobley said. “I could expand my range of shots because I was shooting so well. It was entertaining to see the reactions of my teammates. They were excited to help me set the record.”
Teammate Richard Banks added, “It was Elijah’s night for sure. Every time we came down the floor, we just gave the ball to Elijah and got ready to run the other way (to play defense).”
Weston Ranch has a rich basketball tradition, and Mobley’s accomplishments add to the program’s legacy. The Cougars have had their share of excellent basketball talent take the floor (James Nunnaly, Dylan Alexander, Daiveon Leverett, Jaelen Ragsdale, Gavin Wilburn, and Donjae Lindsey), and Mobley’s performance on Monday now gets him on the list, not once but now twice.
“Elijah setting the single-game scoring mark just a couple of games after he eclipsed 1000 career points is a tremendous achievement, especially given the outstanding basketball history at Weston Ranch,” head coach Nicholas Podesta said. “It is a testament to his work ethic, competitive spirit, and buy-in to his role in this program.”
Mobley leads Weston Ranch in scoring average with 18 points per game, as opposed to last season when Mobley averaged 24. However, the Cougars have not had to rely on Mobley’s scoring as much this season as they did last year. The Cougars have good balance this year as three players average double figures (Richard Banks, 13; Elliot Mobley, 12; Khristian Holmes, 12), and Darrion Lilly adds 8 points per game. It takes the pressure off Mobley, knowing his teammates can score the basketball when other teams target him as the one to stop. However, as Linden found out, nobody would stop Elijah on Monday.
“Scoring 52 points in 16 minutes of action is incredibly hard to do,” assistant coach Edward Menzel told The Prowl. “Elijah’s teammates noticed that it could be a special night for him and embraced the moment by feeding him the basketball early and often. They were happy that they could help him reach that milestone and celebrate his achievement with him. It was enjoyable to watch.
Elijah’s brother Elliot agreed with coach Menzel.
“I knew he could do something like that,” Elliot Mobley added. “He can score, and we (the Cougars) all know that. Elijah and I have been on the same teams our whole lives, and it does not surprise me when he scores big points.”
Next up for Mobley and the Cougars is Edison High School on Jan. 25 at Edison. Weston Ranch can tie the Vikings for first place in the SJAA with a win. Tip-off for Wednesday’s game is at 7:30 p.m.
