all-time scoring leader

It was paparazzi time on Tuesday night at the old Morningside High gymnasium, where more than 20 photographers stationed themselves on the baseline trying to capture the moment Jason Crowe Jr. of Inglewood set the state record for career scoring by a high school basketball player.

Think Chino Hills days with the Ball brothers and Sierra Canyon days with Bronny James to bring out the cameras en masse.

The 6-foot-4 senior and son of Inglewood coach Jason Crowe Sr. needed 29 points to pass the 3,659 career points accumulated by Tounde Yessoufou of Santa Maria St. Joseph.

The basketball presented after Jason Crowe Jr. of Inglewood became the state’s all-time career scoring leader.

(Nick Koza)

It happened at the outset of the third quarter against Beverly Hills, which Inglewood defeated 112-75. After scoring 24 points in the first half when Inglewood took a 57-32 lead, Crowe made two free throws on a technical called at the end of the second quarter, then made a three with 7:51 left in the third quarter to break the record. The game was halted briefly to present a special basketball honoring the occasion.

Crowe, a Missouri commit who finished with 51 points Tuesday, has been on a four-year journey to establish himself as one of the best basketball players in Southern California. He said he never set out to be the state’s all-time scoring leader.

“It just happened as the years went on and I kept racking up points,” he said.

From the moment he debuted as a 14-year-old freshman at Lynwood, Crowe has been a game-changer. He averaged 36.0 points as a freshman when Lynwood won a Division V state championship, 37.4 points as a sophomore and 35.3 points last season at Inglewood. This season, he’s averaging 42.9 points.

The parents of Inglewood guard Jason Crowe Jr: His mother, Irene, and father, Jason Sr.

(Nick Koza)

Crowe said that first season winning a state championship remains his biggest accomplishment.

“My freshman year was one of the finest years I had playing against good teams at a young age and carrying my team to a state title. That was the best feeling,” he said.

As Crowe’s reputation grew, many of his father’s friends joined in the fun. Crowe has spoken frequently with Inglewood’s most famous basketball player, Hall of Famer Paul Pierce. Crowe’s grandfather used to be the principal at Inglewood.

His scoring prowess is helped by his ability to attack the basket, draw fouls and make free throws. He’s relentless and never satisfied. His work ethic has helped him get stronger and show improvement each season.

“I feel I have established who I am in the high school basketball world,” Crowe said. “But there’s always something I can get better at.”

To be able to play for his father, a former Inglewood guard, is something for which Crowe is grateful.

“It’s been great having somebody who really cares about me on your side,” he said.

Crowe’s father is expected to join him in Missouri.

“He’s definitely going to encourage me and be with me on this journey,” Crowe said.

The fact Crowe still has more than two months of high school basketball to play means he’s only going to add to a record that might last a long time.