FOR RELEASE: Monday, February 13, 2006

Kirtland downs Delta, 106-89

ROSCOMMON – Sal Kabara, a freshman at Kirtland who grew up in the Central African Republic, boosted his season scoring average to 21.2 points per game when he dropped in 31 points against the Delta College Pioneers on Saturday, Feb. 11, to help Kirtland to a 106-89 win.

Kabara is now ranked No. 15 in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Division 1 scoring leaders column. He also contributed 4 assists and 8 rebounds in the high-scoring game which took place at the Houghton Lake High School. At the same time, Kirtland (12-14) moved into the No. 6 spot in the NJCAA’s stats for team offensive average which is now at 90.6 points per game.

Despite the sound score, it was an inconsistent game for Kirtland with the team’s lead fluctuating back and forth, from teens to single digits, numerous times.

“We’d expand the lead, then we’d have five possessions without scoring,” said Firebirds head coach Glen Donahue. “Despite that, we really moved the ball well this game.”

Donahue is leader in an impressive stat book of his own. This win, although a frustrating one, was Donahue’s 499th junior-college coaching win. He’ll be looking for No. 500 before the season is over. As the “winningest coach in Michigan college basketball history,” Donahue also has more than 600 college-level wins and well over 700 career wins.

Other Firebirds are also boosting their averages as the season draws close to its end. Tony Brown, a freshman from Battle Creek, contributed 9 assists against Delta, on top of his 20 points and 7 rebounds. This puts him in the No. 11 spot of all Division 1 players in the nation for assists, averaging about 6.8 per game

And from the free-throw line, Matt Tompkins (freshman, Fairview) is No. 8 in the nation with an 88.9 percent accuracy rate. He added 10 points and 3 assists for Kirtland against Delta.

Brian Suchowesky (freshman, Houghton Lake) helped round out the scoring with 14 points, along with 3 assists, 12 rebounds and 4 steals, while DeMarvelous Carter (sophomore, Flint) added 10 points, 4 assists and 5 rebounds and Darrin Wilson (freshman, Prescott) had 8 points and 9 rebounds.

Kirtland next takes on Schoolcraft College (22-4) in Livonia on Wednesday, Feb. 15. The Firebirds’ last home game is set for Saturday, Feb. 18, when they host their Northern Michigan rival Alpena Community College at the CRAF Center. The men’s game on Saturday follows the women’s game which begins at 1 p.m. Admission to the CRAF Center is free.