Basketball stat lines like 34 points and 44 rebounds are from a bygone era, reserved for legends like Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Nate Thurmond, who stood many inches taller than opponents in a time period immortalized in black-and-white photos.
Then came 5-foot-11 Lauryn Taylor.
Taylor, of Division II Francis Marion, set the NCAA record with 44 rebounds in a single game Thursday night, shattering the previous mark that had stood since 1983.
‼️ 44 ‼️
Lauryn Taylor sets a new school record with 44 rebounds in a single game while scoring a career high of 34 points! Congratulations to Lauryn Taylor! #SwampEm #GoPatsGo pic.twitter.com/NOGFGEcWF2
— FMU Sports (@FMUSports) February 16, 2024
On the same night Iowa’s Caitlin Clark captivated the nation as she broke Kelsey Plum’s NCAA women’s record for career points scored, Taylor was making history in South Carolina as she raced past the DII record of 36 rebounds then toppled the DI and NCAA record of 40 rebounds, set by Deborah Temple of Delta State against Alabama-Birmingham on Feb. 14, 1983.
Taylor reached the historic figure by grabbing 30 defensive rebounds and 14 offensive boards. She had 25 rebounds by the end of the first half in the eventual win over North Greenville.
Like Chamberlain famously did after his 100-point game in 1962, Taylor posed at center court with a piece of paper flashing “44” after her game.
Taylor’s 34 points also marked a career high. She hit 11 of 27 shots from the field, including 3 of 6 from 3.
The daughter of the late Rodney Taylor, who helped Villanova advance to the Elite Eight in 1988, Lauryn is leading Francis Marion with 18.5 points and 15.0 rebounds per game this season, the highest rebounding average in DII women’s hoops.
Taylor’s prodigious rebounding total echoes the legendary performances produced by other small-school stars, such as Jack Taylor who scored an NCAA single-game record 138 points for DIII Grinnell (shooting 52 of 108 from the field and 27 of 71 from 3). The DI assist record was set by Sacred Heart’s Cameron Parker, who dished 24 dimes against Pine Manor in 2019.
On the men’s side, only Bill Chambers of DI William & Mary grabbed more rebounds than Taylor in a single game. Chambers pulled down 51 boards against Virginia in 1953. Chamberlain’s collegiate high was 36 rebounds.
(Photo: G Fiume / Getty Images)
