By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Turlock Christian’s Miller eclipses 1,000 points in homecoming win
Michael Miller 1
Turlock Christian’s Michael Miller (center) is embraced by teammates in the locker room after he eclipsed 1,000 career points in Saturday’s 57-48 homecoming win against Millennium of Tracy (Photo contributed).

It was a weekend to remember for Turlock Christian senior Michael Miller.

Midway through the third quarter of Saturday’s Central California Athletic Alliance clash with Millennium of Tracy inside the Louise Marchant Gymnasium on the campus of Turlock High School, Miller etched his name into the history books.

The point guard dribbled the distance of the court, past multiple Falcon defenders on his way to an easy right-handed layup. Not only did the bucket cut the Millennium lead to 33-32, but it marked the moment he surpassed the 1,000-point mark in his prep career.

TC head coach Jacob Gregg quickly called a timeout, as confetti, balloons and even rubber chickens were thrown into the air and onto the court in celebration. Miller was embraced by his teammates and handed a handmade sign commemorating the milestone.

“It means a lot to see all my teammates and all the fans celebrate and be as happy as they were for me,” Miller said. “I don't really live for those big moments in the spotlight, but I couldn't be thankful for it.

Miller entered the game only needing 10 points to hit the benchmark.

TC boys basketball
Turlock Christian's Michael Miller scored 20 points Friday against Ben Holt to get himself within 10 points of scoring 1,000 career points. He reached the milestone the very next day with a 22-point performance against Millennium (CANDY PADILLA/The Journal).

He is believed to be the first player in Turlock Christian history to eclipse 1,000 career points.

“I didn't realize how special it was until I started receiving all the  congratulations,” Miller said with a laugh. “It was such a great moment, and I have to give all the glory to God. We do a pregame prayer, pre-practice prayer, post-practice prayer and a postgame prayer. I'll always give Him the glory no matter what happens. I'm just thankful he gave me an amazing athletic ability to be able to score 1,000, even score 100 points in a season.”

It was just one of Miller’s several highlights from Turlock Christian’s annual homecoming celebration. Minutes before during halftime ceremonies, the senior was named Homecoming King. After the mid-game celebration, Miller scored another 12 points to help the Eagles cap a comeback and pull out a 57-48 victory.

Miller finished with a game-high 22 points. He also received timely assistance from junior forward Tyler Nydam, who dropped 13 points and grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds.

“It was a great night, and I’m really happy I was able to get 1,000 on homecoming,” Miller said. “I became aware that the milestone was coming probably about a week or two ago, when I needed about 50. It’s kind of crazy that I ended up needing just 10 heading into homecoming. I knew I needed to get it this night.”

Earlier this season, Gregg said Miller was “a joy to watch play basketball.”

“Mike's a special player to coach, and you can't ask for more… You're going to get 100% every day from him. He always finds a way to make an impact.

The Eagles improved to 11-11 overall and to 2-3 against conference opponents, sitting in third place behind River Islands of Lathrop (5-0) and Aspire Langston Hughes Academy (3-2). TC and River Islands took the court Tuesday in Lathrop. Results were not available by press time.