PRESS CONTACT:
Irene Borak
Director of Public Relations
10775 N. St. Helen Road
Roscommon, MI 48653
(989) 275-5000 ext. 242
ROSCOMMON – Juandrell Lewis scored 27 points against the Macomb Community College Monarchs, to help the Kirtland Firebirds’ men’s basketball team take a 91-83 conference win in front of an appreciative home crowd at the CRAF Center in Roscommon on Saturday, Jan. 7.
The win put the Firebirds at 2-0 in Michigan Community College Athletic Association play (7-7 overall), although the school’s record will not factor into the overall conference record as Kirtland’s athletic department is on probation this season.
The Firebirds opened their conference season with a 95-83 win over Henry Ford Community College on Wednesday, Jan. 4, in Dearborn, in which Kirtland’s Sal Kabara, their 6’6” freshman forward from the Central African Republic, scored 40 points.
Macomb opened Saturday’s game with an unanswered 7-point scoring run and it took most of the first half for the Firebirds to feel the Monarchs out and find an effective groove. However, Kirtland managed to tie the score at 34 at the half after being behind for the duration. The second-half scoring advantage belonged to the Firebirds
Lewis, a 6’2” sophomore from Detroit, wasn’t the only Firebird in double digits against Macomb. Tony Brown ( freshman, Battle Creek) scored 18 points and added 5 assists to the Firebirds’ win, while Kabara added 14 points and 11 assists, and Demarvelous Carter (sophomore, Flint) added 12 points.
Rounding out the score book for the Firebirds was David Allison (sophomore, Lapeer) with 9 points and 4 assists; Matt Tompkins (freshman, Fairview) with 6 points; Brian Suchowesky (freshman, Houghton Lake) with 4 points; and Darrin Wilson (freshman, Whittemore) with 1 point.
The Firebirds continue their conference schedule Monday, Jan. 9, on the road at Wayne County Community College. They follow this with two home games – on Wednesday, Jan. 11, against Mott Community College (7:30 p.m. game time), and on Saturday, Jan. 14, against St. Clair County Community College (3 p.m.). Home games are played at the CRAF Center in Roscommon. Admission is free.