|
KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- If there is a David Kool jersey out there for sale someplace, Akron men’s basketball coach Keith Dambrot might step right up with the cold cash for it.
That’s how big the moment was for Western Michigan senior guard David Kool on Wednesday night, when he broke the school’s all-time record for scoring with a 30-point night against the Zips -- Kool’s fourth 30-point game of the season.
Despite all of the hoopla surrounding Kool‘s record night, the Broncos lost at home for the first time in seven games, 79-70 to the defending Mid-American Conference champion Zips.
“I want one of those shirts,” Dambrot said after talking to Kool‘s brother, Bill, who was wearing a Broncos‘ David Kool jersey. “That guy is terrific, a great ballplayer.”
Kool broke WMU‘s scoring with 48 seconds left, a free throw which was his 28th point of the night and 1,788th of his career, surpassing Manny Newsome‘s 46-year-old record. Kool finished the night with 1,790 career points, ranking him No. 24 on the MAC‘s all-time scoring list with at least 12 games still to play. If he surpasses 2,012 points, he‘ll hit the MAC‘s top 10.
Kool is the defending MAC scoring champion and leads the league this season with a 20.1 points-per-game average. As soon as he hit the record-breaking free throw, the crowd of 3,041 rose its feet in a tribute.
“I was overjoyed when I heard the crowd cheering for me,” Kool said. “It meant so much to me that they stayed (until the end of the game) to do that.”
“It’s the one bright spot of the night,” WMU coach Steve Hawkins said. “To be around David Kool every day has been a privilege as a coach. We’re all richer for experiencing David Kool’s career for four years.”
Having grown up in Grand Rapids, Mich., about an hour north of Kalamazoo and attending South Christian High School, Kool had recognized some of the names on WMU’s scoring list. But it was former teammate Joe Reitz, now an offensive lineman for the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, that Kool has kept in touch with - him, and the many family members who made the trip to Wednesday’s game for the special moment.
Kool scored 22 of his 30 points in the second half, hitting 7-of-10 shots, including 2-of-3 3-pointers as he tried to lead WMU back from a 16-point deficit. Akron’s Jimmy Conyers was on Kool for much of the night, but the Zips tried to double up the defense whenever possible. What makes it difficult to defend Kool, Dambrot said, is that he can hit from the outside, and inside, and pass the ball to a teammate quickly if a shot isn’t there.
“He so good; he’s so crafty. You have to try and guard him with more than one guy,” said Akron’s Chris McKnight, one of four Akron players who hit double figures with 10 points.
“We obviously did a great job. He had 30 points,” Dambrot said sarcastically.
Between all those Kool baskets, the Zips (14-6, 4-2 MAC East) disposed of the Broncos (11-8, 3-3 MAC West) with strong shooting despite turning the ball over 19 times and getting outrebounded, 35-26.
A 3-point basket by junior guard Steve McNees a minute into the game put Akron up 3-0, and the Zips never relinquished the lead. A basket by Brett McClanahan as the first half buzzer sounded gave the Zips an eight-point cushion, 35-27, at halftime and they pushed it to 16 points in the first five minutes of the second half.
The Zips, who lead the MAC in shooting percentage, made 53.3 percent of their shots, including 10-of-17 in the second half.
Brett McKnight and Conyers led the Zips with 11 points, and Chris McKnight and Nikola Cvetinovic each scored 10.
When the Broncos appeared to start a big run, the Zips were able to counter with a quick hoop in the paint or hit a 3-pointer outside; Brett McKnight hit three of Akron’s eight 3-pointers. The Zips’ bench players outscored WMU’s bench, 36-19.
“We have very good depth,” said Dambrot, whose Zips have won as many as six in a row this season but yielded 19 consecutive points to Kent State in an 87-70 loss last Saturday.
“They’re veterans. They all know exactly what the other guy is going to do,” Hawkins said.
Even so, at the end of the night the attention was squarely on Kool, who scored four points in the final 48 seconds. There was one thing missing.
“I obviously would have liked to have it happen with a different outcome, but I’m proud to have set a new record,” he said.
“That’s the kind of kid he is,” Hawkins said.
|
