BARTLESVILLE, Okla. (2-25-10) – For many college basketball players, the idea of reaching 1,000-points in their career is a goal that would never be reached. But for Oklahoma Wesleyan University senior guard Steve Briggs, it was just a stepping-stone.
This past weekend in a 77-56 victory over Peru State College (Neb.), Briggs doubled the usually untouchable milestone, finishing the ball game with 13-points, moving him into third place on the OKWU scoring list with 2,013. Following a 17-point output on the following night, the 2009 First Team All-American is just 16 away from the second spot in school history.
The Duncanville, Texas, native will get his shot to move up on Friday night, as the Eagles will avenge a regular season loss to College of the Ozarks (Mo.), in the semi-finals of the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament, hosted by Bellevue University (Neb.) in Omaha. Tip is set for 5 p.m.
Since coming to Oklahoma Wesleyan in fall of 2007, Briggs career has been more than a storybook career, but one of legends. The then sophomore first caught the attention of Eagle fans in his second game, knocking down eight three-pointers at Oklahoma Christian, finishing with 32-points.
He didn’t let his fans down as he continued knocking three-pointers down, recently passing former NCAA Div. I All-American J.J. Reddick in career threes made. Heading into the 2010 conference tournament, Briggs is tied for sixth in career three-pointers made in college basketball history at 468 with Craig Douma of Northwestern College (Iowa) (1991-94). Briggs also set the NAIA Div. II national tournament record for threes, knocking down 26 in five games in 2009, also finishing third in scoring in tournament history with 147-points.
Briggs has led his Eagles teams to the school’s first ever National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Division II National Tournament in 2008, a MCAC regular season and tournament title in 2009, and most importantly, the 2009 NAIA Div. II National Championship. Most recently, Briggs and the Eagles won 39-straight ball games to set the NAIA Div. II consecutive wins record.
Individually, Briggs has numerous awards, honors, and records to his name. In 2008, he was named the MCAC Player of the Year, NAIA Div. II national tournament MVP, and First Team All-American for the NAIA and National Christian College Athletic Association.
Against the Eagles rival Ozarks, Briggs raised himself to the occasion and putting his teammates on his back, breaking the school records for threes in a contest with 11, finishing with 40-points. Just four days earlier against Central Christian College (Kan.), he set his career mark in scoring with 46 points in a victory.
The winner of the OKWU and College of the Ozarks game on Friday will await the winner of the late game between the host Bellevue and Central Christian. Tipoff for the MCAC Tournament Championship game is set for 6 p.m. on Saturday from Bellevue, Neb. All games will be broadcast live on the host schools website.