Milestones achieved: Scotland’s Thompson, Lampley recognized for reaching 1,000 career points

LAURINBURG — While it’s becoming more common, it’s still exclusive company for a high school basketball player to reach 1,000 points for his/her career.

Scotland’s men’s and women’s basketball teams had one each do just that last month.

Morgan Thompson, of the Lady Scots, hit 1,000 career points on Jan. 16 against Pinecrest, and Dylan Lampley, of Scotland’s men, did so three days later at Lee County.

Both were recognized for their accomplishments before playing against Southern Lee on Tuesday.

Thompson, a junior, said her determination to succeed in basketball helped her achieve the feat.

”Just put my head down and work; just work,” Thompson said.

Lampley, a senior, was hoping to join the 1,000-point club the same night as Thompson but couldn’t get in an offensive rhythm.

”It’s a really big accomplishment,” Lampley said. “As the game was going on, everybody was expecting me to get it (against) Pinecrest, but shots just wouldn’t fall. It just didn’t go how everybody expected. So, we came to Lee County; I already knew I was getting it going into the game. Just started off the game; I was hitting everything. I knew it was coming sooner or later.”

Thompson is Scotland’s first women’s player to surpass the point mark since Destiny Campbell in the 2014-15 season; Campbell finished with 1,023 points.

“Since I’ve been at Scotland coaching for assistant and head coach … this is my third 1,000-point scorer,” said Scotland women’s basketball coach Roshien McClain, who coached another 1,000-career-point scorer in 2013 Scotland graduate Jonisa Monely. “I think (Morgan’s) the fastest that I coached. So, having her as a junior getting it is a great accomplishment. She’s worked hard at certain things, handling the ball better, being a better point guard, and it’s a great accomplishment.”

Through 18 games this season, Thompson is averaging a career-high 18.9 points per game. She personally hasn’t seen as much improvement in her game this season.

“Not as much as I thought, but (I) just keep working,” Thompson said.

From her freshman season, though, McClain has seen Thompson take leaps and bounds in her play.

“Her attitude has gotten a whole lot better,” McClain said. “Usually, when she was a freshman, she would miss a shot; she would get all over herself. Whole attitude would change. Now, she don’t even worry about it, and she’s playing better defense and distributing the ball. And she’s gotten in shape. I’m just proud of her and everything she’s done with a better attitude — staying out of trouble and having great grades and just continuing to encourage her teammates.”

For Lampley, who transferred in from Richmond last summer, he became Scotland’s second player to reach the milestone in as many years; Lamonte Cousar also accomplished it in the 2022-23 season.

Lampley started playing high school basketball at North Carolina Christian Schools Association member Temple Christian in Rockingham. He was on the seventh-grade team in 2018, averaging 2.8 points per game on varsity, before making his way up to 20.9 points his freshman year in 2020. After his sophomore season, in which he averaged 27.3 points and 13.5 rebounds, Lampley transferred to Richmond, where he played one season with stats of 3.2 points and 3.3 rebounds in 25 games.

”I think one of the things that get lost in the world we live in, when people talk about (the) transfer portal, that people are selfish and all about themselves, but the game’s played by the players, not the coaches,” Scotland men’s basketball coach Michael Malpass said. “So, players should be able to find a fit. And I think Dylan coming to us found a good fit. He came this summer and worked out with us. And we knew right away he could help us. He’s a smart kid, and you see that in the way he interacts with others and his academics, and also the way he thinks the game. And so, we knew he was going to be a big help when we saw him this summer.”

Lampley is Scotland’s second-leading scorer with 11.7 points per game — only behind Jaiquez Caldwell with 12.9 points — and is also averaging 6.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals.

“With me and Quez (Caldwell), if we’re not on ours, like leading the team right, then it’s not going to go good,” Lampley said. “We’re young, real young. But I mean, we’re getting back on the right track, battling with a bunch of big teams, good teams; had a lot of ups and downs in the season. And they’re stepping up themselves, too, like the young guys.”

“… The thing that we keep telling like him (Lampley) and Jaiquez is you have to trust, and you have to bring the others along,” Malpass said. “So, that requires you to give the ball up. And I think he’s sort of embraced the idea that if he’ll develop other guys’ confidence and get them going, it’s going to reciprocate and be really good for him, too. So, I think him being a senior coming in has helped with that to get those other guys going.”

Both Thompson and Lampley will look to continue leading their teams through the last few games of the regular season. After facing Union Pines Friday night, Scotland plays at Pinecrest on Jan. 9, hosts Lee County for senior night on Jan. 13 then heads to Richmond to close it out on Jan. 16.