In a league of his own: Keene breaks MAC scoring record
Lost in the shuffle of another double-digit loss was perhaps one of the bigger accomplishments in Central Michigan men’s basketball history.
Two weeks after breaking the CMU program record for points in a single season, Marcus Keene took it a step further Tuesday night.
The junior from San Antonio, Texas scored 21 points against Eastern Michigan to break the Mid-American Conference single-season record, set by Ohio’s Dave Jamerson in 1989 (874).
Keene needed 15 points to break the record and hit a couple free throws mid-way through the second half to achieve the milestone.
“This is all the work I put in on my off-year stuff and my coaches and teammates are allowing me to have success shooting the ball, so that’s how I broke the record,” Keene said.
Keene shot 6-of-17 from the field and 1-of-8 from the 3-point line in the Chippewas’ 109-81 loss to EMU. It was the team’s six-straight defeat and fourth-straight at McGuirk Arena to end the home schedule,
Keene said he’s excited about the record, but the success of the team is more important.
“It means something from an individual standpoint because this is the work that I put in,” he said. “But at the same time we have lost six straight and I’m looking for a win.”
During his record-breaking campaign, the nation’s leading scorer has gone over 40 points six times — passing Gonzaga’s Adam Morrison as the most for a Division I player in the last 20 seasons.
The 5-foot-9 guard has averaged 30 points per game for most of the season and would be the first D-1 player since 1997 to do that for a season. Keene currently sits at 29.4 points per game.
He and his backcourt mate senior Braylon Rayson (20.7) are the top scoring duo in the country. Rayson, from Dallas, Texas, was the main reason Keene ended up at CMU last season.
Keene said it has been a great opportunity to play with his friend this year, but wishes they would have won more games.
“It’s been great. I’m averaging around 30 a game. I’m doing it with a dude in the back court the same size as me who has the same excitement and same stuff,” he said. “All of the CMU fans came out to support us since the beginning of the year. We just wish we could have made them happier.”
Keene is currently up for the Wooden and Naismith Awards, given to the country’s most outstanding player.
Head coach Keno Davis said he expected the transfer from Youngstown State to perhaps lead the conference in scoring, but never expected him to gain so much national recognition.
“I do not know what his chances are of winning those awards,” Davis said. “We are in a day and age that you can be in the MAC and people get a chance to watch online or on national TV. The exposure he is getting is great for him and great for our basketball program.”
Keene and the Chippewas will be back in action at 7 p.m. Friday at Western Michigan in the regular season finale.
