Wake County native Nikel Rodgers shatters JUCO record with 17 3-pointers in a game

Monday, March 30, 2026
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- A college student from Wake County caught fire on the basketball court recently and made history along the way.

Nikel Rodgers shattered a national junior college record by hitting 17 3-pointers in a game.

Rodgers, who is from Zebulon and graduated from East Wake High School, is a sophomore at Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC), studying business entrepreneurship, and putting in work on the court.

"I wanted to try and become better, and I did, and my stats prove it," Rodgers told ABC11.

In a dominant 105-68 win over Pitt Community College, Rodgers was unstoppable, knocking down 17 of 23 3-point attempts, scoring 54 points.

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"I actually scored our team's first 20 points," Rodgers said. "I had 54 points, seven rebounds and two steals."



Rodgers, 19, said the moment was surreal but was the result of years of hard work.

"I felt a little bit off coming into the game. I didn't think my performance was going to be all that great, and then it turned out to be one of my best performances," he said.

Now, the phone is ringing with interest from four-year programs across the country, and a few dream schools at the top of his list.



"Big on NC State, and really Chapel Hill," Rodgers smiled.

Rodgers is set to graduate from GTCC this spring and said he hopes his story inspires other players to see the opportunities at the junior college level.

"Keep your eye on me and watch my journey, and then you'll see how far I'm going to get," Rodgers said.

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