Honeycutt’s high school career started, after all, with a barely audible whimper — a one-point night against East Rowan, her father, Stan’s, old school. But it went out with a bang, 1,554 points later, as the No. 2 scorer in Cavalier history. Honeycutt was second only to former Maryland star Stephanie Cross when she called it a career in March.

The hoops ride for Honeycutt isn’t over by any means. She’s accepted a scholarship offer from UNC Greensboro of the Southern Conference, signing the papers Wednesday. The 5-foot-10 left-hander expects to play a wing spot for the Spartans. She’ll have to adjust her game after spending most of the past two seasons playing in the post, but she’s ready and eager for the challenge.

Twenty years from now, people will look back on Honeycutt’s career and let out a whistle. She was a three-time all-county pick, won 2A Central Carolina Conference Player of the Year as a junior and took Sam Moir Christmas Tournament MVP as a senior. And scanning the course of Honeycutt’s career, you notice that her name is on the chart for four of the best 23 scoring seasons ever turned in by a Cavalier girl.

Yes, even her 358-point freshman year — the year of the infamous one-point night. Honeycutt says it was even worse than it sounds. And it sounds bad enough.

“It was the worst game of my lifetime,” she says. “I must’ve made one shot (a free throw, obviously) out of 15. I even shot once at the wrong basket. I was glad that one didn’t go in.”

You have to give North coach Gary Atwell credit for not sending Honeycutt down to the jayvees at halftime. But he stuck with her and eventually she started sticking shots. Just four games later, she scored 18 against Lexington, and a star was born. By mid-season, she was pouring in 27 against Albemarle.

In many respects that freshman year was as big a thrill as Honeycutt would enjoy at North. Expectations were low and achievements astonishingly high. Guided by two freshmen who were too young to be scared — Honeycutt and Jackie Wood — Atwell’s Cavaliers reached the state’s Elite Eight.

“It was great because no one expected us to do anything,” said Honeycutt. “After that, people looked at North basketball differently. It was like, hey, they can compete.”

North was 69-38 in Honeycutt’s four years after going 26-70 in the four years prior to her arrival. She wasn’t the only reason for a program turnaround of that magnitude, of course. Wood was a great player during the two years she teamed with Honeycutt before transferring. And there was Erin Bailey and Joyce Hipps and Courtney Hill and many others. But the constant for North was always Honeycutt, who averaged 14.7 points per night over four years, while missing just one of 107 games. That’s consistency.

“Gosh, I was little,” remembers Honeycutt. “But they tell me the first shot I ever took went in. And yeah, I shot it left-handed.”

They’ve been going in ever since. And yeah, 99 percent of them have been left-handed.

Honeycutt joined the Junior Hornets program at the YMCA at age 5 and got hooked on the sport. She started out as a point guard, but gradually moved closer to the hoop after she hit a growth spurt. Honeycutt had obvious talent. Not so obvious from her smiling exterior was the fact that she drove herself hard internally.

“I always had the drive to work as hard as I could to see just how good I could be,” she says. “I never minded going that extra mile.”

Stan was always there with a gentle push. Megan describes him as a perfect combination of father, critic and coach.

“It was always, ‘Now, you did really, really well, but ...,”’ laughs Megan. “Dad was proud of me, but he never let me be satisfied with what I’d done. He always wanted me to do a little better.”

And so did she.

Honeycutt will tell you that her four years playing for Atwell have flown by in a twinkling. Seems like only yesterday that she and Wood were the Thin Towers and tearing it up at North Middle. And it seems like just hours ago that the Cavs lost to Charlotte Catholic in the state playoffs to end her senior season.

Honeycutt says UNC Greensboro found out about her mostly from an impressed opponent — High Point Central coach Kenny Carter. Spartan coach Lynne Agee checked her out as a junior and the mailman has had a sore back from his deliveries to the Honeycutt household since then. There have been plenty of phone calls, plus a home visit. Honeycutt finally gave Agee a verbal commitment in February.

“I got the good end of the deal,” laughs Honeycutt. “We’re going to have a good team. And my parents (Rita is her mother’s name) are excited because I’ll be less than an hour away. They’re already saying, ‘We’ll be able to go to this game on this day.’ Stuff like that.”

Playing in the Southern Conference will mean seeing some other familiar faces. South Rowan’s Janetta Heggins and East Rowan’s Nicole Loggins will be at Western Carolina. East’s Laura Edwards is at Appalachian. Also on UNCG’s schedule is Campbell, which has South guard Jill Cress.

“It’s going to be fun playing against all of them,” says Honeycutt. “I owe them. I pushed myself so hard because I saw how good the girls were that I’d be playing against.”

But Honeycutt proved that she was one of the best at every stop. From Junior Hornets to high school.

“And now,” says Honeycutt, “I’ve got to go and prove myself all over again.”