LaMelo Ball dedicates 92-point game to Chino Hills classmate in need of new heart

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Thursday, February 9, 2017
LaMelo Ball dedicates 92-point game to classmate in need of new heart
LaMelo Ball, the Chino Hills High School point guard who scored 92 points during a single game, said he dedicated the game to a fellow classmate in need of a new heart.

CHINO HILLS, Calif. (KABC) -- LaMelo Ball, the Chino Hills High School point guard who scored 92 points during a single game, said he dedicated the game to a fellow classmate in need of a new heart.

Alexis Anderson, a sophomore at the school, is on a heart donor's list. Last Friday, she didn't wake up and paramedics had to resuscitate her.

"There was a lot of unknowns and she was too weak to get any of the proper scans to the brain to assess what the damage was," principal Isabel Brenes said.

By the weekend, Anderson had responded to treatments and was moved to the top of the donor list. But before Tuesday night's game, the team learned that her heart failed and she was rushed into surgery.

At halftime, the Huskies had a moment of silence and prayers for Anderson.

"That inspired us for the second half of the game, and I know that really meant something to Melo," head coach Stephan Gilling said.

LaMelo's high-scoring game led his team to a 146-123 victory against Los Osos High School. After the victory, some people were critical of his game, but LaMelo said that hasn't deterred him.

"I know what I played for, and I know what I did," he said.

The team and community hope they can do more to help Anderson.

A GoFundMe page set up for Anderson has raised nearly $36,000 in less than a week. The final goal is $100,000. If you would like to donate to her page, you can go to gofundme.com/lexianderson.

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