PRESS CONTACT:
Irene Borak
Director of Public Relations
10775 N. St. Helen Road
Roscommon, MI 48653
(989) 275-5000 ext. 242
ROSCOMMON – The Kirtland Firebirds men’s basketball team made inroads against some stiff, pre-conference competition, but came away from the weekend Midwest JUCO Tournament in Illinois with one win and two losses to move their record to 4-6 for the season.
The Firebirds began the eight-team playoff, hosted by Kankakee Community College, with a 92-74 loss to Danville Area Community College (Ill.) on Friday, Dec. 9. Kirtland’s 6’6” freshman, Sal Kabara, from the Central African Republic, led the Firebirds’ scoring with 22 points, and added 7 rebounds and 3 steals. Tony Brown (freshman, Battle Creek) added 16 points, while Juandrell Lewis (sophomore, Detroit) and David Allison (sophomore, Lapeer) each ended the night with 11 points.
In second-round play on Saturday, Dec. 10, Kennedy-King College (Ill.) fell to the Firebirds with a score of 94-70. Allison and Brown topped out with 22 points apiece for the Firebirds, followed closely by Lewis with 20. Brian Suchowesky, a 6’4” freshman from Houghton Lake, added 10 points.
The win over Kennedy-King boosted the Firebirds into the consolation championship game against Cincinnati State on Sunday, but the Firebirds came up on the short end of a 99-86 final score. Allison surpassed the 20-point mark for the second time in the tournament, dropping in 21 points against Cincinnati. Kabara added 16 points, Lewis 15, Suchowesky 11 and Brown 11.
Plan to be in Roscommon on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 16-17, to see both Firebirds teams in action when they host their own Great North Tournament at the CRAF Center. The schedule is as follows:
Friday – 2 p.m., women, KCC vs. Sinclair Community College (Ohio)
Friday – 4 p.m., men, Lewis College of Business vs. Kellogg Community College
Friday – 6 p.m., women, Genesee Community College (N.Y.) vs. Lakeland Community College (Ohio)
Friday – 8 p.m., men, KCC vs. Lakeland CC
Saturday – noon, women’s consolation game
Saturday – 2 p.m., men’s consolation game
Saturday – 4 p.m., women’s championship game
Saturday – 6 p.m., men’s championship game
The games are free and open to the public.