Wilcox Central's Fred Turner holds AHSAA boys state record for most three-pointers in a single game

Wilcox Central's Fred Turner in 2011.

The Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) announced on Friday that Deshler High School junior guard Chloe Siegel made 18 three-point shots in Monday of last week’s 83-20 win over Oak Mountain to set a new AHSAA state record. She finished the game with 54 points, and her 18 three-pointers eclipsed the AHSAA state record for three-pointers in a single game for girls set by Trinity Presbyterian’s Emma Kate Smith in January 2021.

While many sports fans in the reading audience may have read about Siegel’s recent record-breaking performance, some may not know that the AHSAA boys state record is still held by former Wilcox Central High School basketball star, Fred Turner.

Turner, a 5-foot-5 senior shooting guard, set the boys state record on Jan. 8, 2011 when he sank 17 three-pointers in a 96-54 win over Francis Marion High School in Camden. That night, Turner made 17-of-22 threes and finished the game with 56 total points, two more points that Francis Marion’s entire team combined. Prior to that night, the previous state record was 15 three-pointers, set by Douglas High School’s Clint Wigley during the 1993-94 season.

Turner’s 56 points against Francis Marion also tied a school record set in 1985 by Mark Dukes, who was Wilcox Central’s head basketball coach in 2011. Turner and Dukes helped lead Wilcox Central to the Final Four round of the state playoffs in 2011. Other top players on that year’s team included Kyser Irby and Kevin Chapman.

Turner currently lives in Thomaston and is a successful commercial truck driver. Turner, who many will remember by his nickname “Tune,” said he remembers his record-setting game against Francis Marion like it happened yesterday. He said that at the time, he didn’t realize that he’d shot so many threes and didn’t know that he’d broken the state record until he was informed of it the next day.

“I just remembered hitting like six or seven threes in a row in the first quarter, and it was kind of just a blank after then,” Turner said, jokingly.

In honor of his record-setting performance, Wilcox Central raised a banner in its gym, noting that Turner had set the state record and was also at that time ranked fourth in the National Federation of High School’s record book. Turner, who wore the No. 2 jersey at Wilcox Central, went on to Wallace State Community College, where he starred on the men’s basketball team for two seasons.

Turner is currently tied with six other players for fifth place in the NFHS record books for most three-pointers in a single boys game. Taurean Moy of Memphis, Tennessee’s Booker T. Washington High School currently holds the national record after he made 24-of-44 three-pointers against Manassas High School in December 2000.

In the end, Turner tipped his hat to Deshler’s Chloe Siegel for her recent record-setting performance. He said he’d like to meet her someday to congratulate her in person. No doubt that would be great for all involved because it’s not every day that the state’s all-time best three-point shooters get to meet face to face.