DETROIT, Mich.-It has been on their mind since March 6, 2009. A loss to Indiana University Northwest (IUN) to end the 2008-09 season in which IUN star Pete Trgovich poured in 11 threes on his way to 41 points to bury the best season in program history. On Saturday, the ‘Stangs avenged their season-ending defeat in stunning fashion with a 116-68 throttling of the Redhawks.
The Mustangs went into Saturday's NAIA-USCAA rivalry match-up with a do-or-die attitude for postseason play. The game pitted two bubble teams for both the A.I.I. (Mustangs NAIA Conference) and the USCAA. Currently, the Mustangs sit just ahead of the Redhawks in the polls. The #9 ranked Mustangs are one spot away (top eight advance to national tourney) from a return trip to Pittsburgh for a shot at USCAA gold.
In the A.I.I., the Mustangs hold the fourth and final spot for the rights to travel to Denver, CO for the conference tournament. The Redhawks rank fifth in the A.I.I. and were looking to play spoiler for the second straight season.
A swarming defensive effort led by Keontay Glazier (Pontiac, Mich.) and Mike Jackson (Bloomfield, Mich.) set the tone from the beginning. The pair shut down potent Redhawk Pete Trgovich (27ppg) with lockdown defense that forced the star guard into hoisting many bad shots.
The defense sparked an offensive explosion for the Mustangs that included a remarkable 78 points in the second half en rout to the dominating 116-68 victory. The 78-point tally also equaled the Mustangs game-high this season (01/13/2010 vs. Rochester - 78 points).
Many Mustangs got in on the action as the lopsided game progressed. In all, five Mustangs reached double-figures. Sophomore guard Mark Brissette (Garden City, Mich.) led the charge with 19 points (3-of-5 3PM). Brissette's 19 was a career-high as a Mustang. Taking advantage of extended playing time, Brissette added eight rebounds (three offensive) for his second career-high in the contest.
He was followed by the Mustangs lone senior, Franklin Murdock (West Bloomfield, Mich.) with a season-high 15 points. Murdock also chipped in six rebounds. Eric Johnson (Southfield, Mich.) dominated the offensive glass on his way to 14 points and nine rebounds (five offensive).
Marcus Hopkins (Southfield, Mich.) and Mike Jackson topped off the double-digit scoring with 11 and 10 respectively. Justin McKinney (Detroit, Mich.) finished with a well-rounded eight point, six rebound, and six assist night for the Mustangs.
The Mustangs (6-16) will look to build off the Saturday's pivotal win when they host Great Lakes Christian College, Thursday, January 28 at 7pm. The game will be played at Ernest T. Ford Fieldhouse in Highland Park. After the home tilt, the team will hit the road for three games before ending the regular season at home against Rochester College on February 20.
