Cameron Sets School Assist Records, Ties Conference Mark

MacMurray College guard Michael Cameron set a pair of school assist records and tied a conference mark on Saturday in the Highlanders season finale against Iowa Wesleyan University.

Michael Cameron produced a 24 points-20 assists double-double, helping MacMurray College overcome a 10-point halftime deficit, downing Iowa Wesleyan University in overtime, 129-122. MacMurray finishes the season with a record of 13-12 (9-9 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference). Iowa Wesleyan concludes its season at 5-20 (5-13).

Cameron's 20 assists give him 166 on the season, which rewards the senior point guard the record for the most assists in a single season at MacMurray. The previous record was 158. His 20 assists also tie the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference single-game mark; a record originally set by Stacey Ross of Fontbonne University in the 1994 season.

Iowa Wesleyan took control of a large portion of the first half. The game began with Jake Neubauer hitting back-to-back threes, giving the Tigers an early 6-0 advantage. A layup from Cameron put MacMurray on the board.

A third triple from Neubauer extended the lead to seven, 11-4, for IWU. Brent Long, who played in his school-record 107th game for MacMurray, drilled a three-pointer of his own to bring the Highlanders within four, 11-7.

Brock Butler hit the next two baskets for Iowa Wesleyan, pushing the Tigers' lead to nine, 16-7, with just under four minutes played in the half. The Highlanders were able to put together a 7-0 run, capped by a jumper from Marshall Corbin, to pull within two, 16-14.

Long hit three-straight free throws, cutting the deficit for MacMurray down to one point, 24-23, eight minutes into the game.  However, Iowa Wesleyan went on an 8-0 run, with a jumper from Elijah Johnson extending the Tigers' lead out to nine, 35-26.

Butler found the basket for a layup, giving the Tigers a 16-point advantage, 44-28. After Cameron made a layup of his own, Mitchell Drey hit a jumper and the and-one free throw to put IWU up 17 points, 47-30, with six minutes left in the half.

Derek Bourke put the finishing touches on an 8-0 MacMurray run, bringing the Highlanders within nine points, 47-38, with under four minutes to play in the first. The lead was quickly pushed back out to 15 points, 54-39, after a layup from Drey.

MacMurray was able to make the deficit a bit more manageable, as Long scored a layup, and Kendall Davis drilled a deep three as time expired, sending the Highlanders into halftime down by 10 points, 60-50.

A 14-5 run to open up the second half is what MacMurray desperately needed, as a corner-three form Davis gave the Highlanders their first lead of the game, 66-65. A layup from Austin Banks reclaimed the lead for Iowa Wesleyan, 67-66.

Senior Taten Musso put MacMurray up by four points, 74-70, with a layup seven minutes into the second half. Butler scored a layup and hit the and-one shot from the charity stripe to notch things up at 80-80, midway through the half.

Musso drilled a three-pointer to put MacMurray up by six, MacMurray's largest lead of the half, 88-82. Johnson hit a three of his own to put Iowa Wesleyan back on top, 91-90, with seven minutes left in regulation.

Butler gave Iowa Wesleyan a late four-point lead, 102-98, after hitting a layup and completing the three-point-play with the and-one free throw. MacMurray reversed the script, as Davis' three-pointer with one minute remaining put the Highlanders up by four, 108-104.

Drey put Iowa Wesleyan up by two points, 110-108, with only 15 seconds left on the clock after a pair of free throws. Drew Burwinkle wasn't letting MacMurray's season end, however, as he hit two free throws of his own with five seconds left, tying the game at 110-110. Butler's last-second shot came up just short, and overtime was needed.

The extra five-minute session began with Iowa Wesleyan taking a three-point lead, 113-110, after a layup and a free throw from Drey. MacMurray responded with a 7-0 run, with Davis surviving the contact to hit a jumper and the and-one free throw.

MacMurray would not relinquish the lead, as the Highlanders hit their last eight free throws, securing the senior day win, 129-122.

Long topped the scoring charts for MacMurray, scoring 37 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. Davis scored 31 points on the afternoon, giving him an impressive total of 1,019 points in just two years of playing NCAA Division-III basketball. Behind Cameron's 24-point performance, Corbin finished with 11 points, and Musso added 10 to the Highlander's effort.

Butler led all scorers with 45 points for Iowa Wesleyan. He was followed by Neubauer's 31 points, 29 points from Drey, with Johnson adding 11 points for the Tigers.

STORY COURTESY OF MacMURRAY COLLEGE SPORTS INFORMATION