Top recruit Davenport drops 25 points in 1st game after judge's ruling

Top Rutgers recruit Maori Davenport made her triumphant return to the court on Friday night, helping Charles Henderson High School beat Carroll High 72-17.

Davenport scored 25 points, which came hours after Pike County Circuit Judge Sonny Reagan granted an emergency motion allowing her to play. The Alabama High School Athletic Association had deemed Davenport ineligible for her senior season after she deposited an $857.20 stipend check (money she later repaid) that USA Basketball mistakingly sent.

"It just felt like I belonged there," Davenport said after the game, according to D'Arcy Maine of ESPN. "It's like I left a place and I came back right where I belonged."

A sea of cheers greeted Davenport after her name was announced:

"I knew the city was behind me, but they really showed up and showed out today," she said. "(The signs) were the coolest thing ever. I never imagined signs for me.

"I will never let myself forget this day. I will tell my grandkids one day about this and the night grandma scored 25 points and had a few rebounds."