Romero breaks record

By STEVE SELL, Sentinel Sports Editor

It was a shot Kenny Romero had made countless times before in his career at McPherson College.

A jumper from the baseline with 4:22 left in the game here Thursday night against Southwestern enabled the 6-5 senior from Pueblo, Colo., to break the all-time Bulldog scoring record, which had been held by Jonathan Coachman.

With 23 points in a 72-62 win, Romero now has 1,787 career points at Mac, while Coachman -- now an announcer for World Wrestling Entertainment -- finished with 1,782.

Romero had tied the record with a 3-point play a minute before. The Mac coaching staff had kept Romero's chase for the record quiet, as it tried not to put too much pressure on him.

Romero said he had been informed by Mac Sports Information Director Carol Swenson that he was getting close.

"I tried not to think about it too much," Romero said. "I just went out there and played. It was going to happen when it happened. I didn't want to put too much pressure on myself."

Romero gave credit to his teammates. "They played a big part in it," he said.

"He's very well-deserving," Mac coach Roger Trimmell said. "He's been very consistent for four years. And after the game he was very gracious in the locker room to his teammates. They had kind of rallied around him."

Romero already is the all-time leading rebounder at Mac and added to his total by pulling down 14 to record a double-double.

With the Bulldogs' win over Southwestern, coupled with Tabor's 67-59 win at Friends, Mac finished the first half of KCAC play just a game back of both Tabor and Friends.

Mac is now 6-3, while the co-leaders are 7-2. Ottawa and Sterling round out the upper division at 5-4.

The Bulldogs struggled for a half, trailing 28-27. But they caught fire after halftime, hitting 14 of 27 from the field.

Cody Rierson broke out of a shooting slump with 15 points, while Brian Hooks added 12.

Brett Annis kept the Moundbuilders in the game with 22 points, while Rico Marquez scored 15. Lee Gustafson did a great job on Southwestern's red-hot Kalan Powers, as last week's co-KCAC Player of the Week could score just 10 points, hitting just 4 of 17 from the field. Southwestern also hurt its cause at the foul line by making only 4 of 15.

The Bulldogs are now 14-5 overall and it was Trimmell's 301st win of his coaching career. Mac begins the second half of KCAC play Saturday when it travels to Bethel.

Mac (72) -- Rierson 5 2-2 15; McDonald 3 2-2 9; Carter 2 0-0 6; Hooks 4 4-5 12; Soto 1 0-0 2; Romero 9 3-5 23; Gustafson 1 3-4 5. Totals -- 25 15-18 72. 3-pointers -- Rierson 3, Carter 2, McDonald 1, Romero 1.

Southwestern (62) -- Powers 4 0-0 10; Sampson 1 0-0 3; Annis 7 3-7 22; Marquez 7 1-4 15; Riley 4 0-2 8; Hanson 2 0-2 4. Totals -- 25 4-15 62. 3-pointers -- Annis 5, Powers 2, Sampson 1.