How this Western Illinois basketball player made school history and landed on ESPN

Western Illinois men's basketball got a rare moment in the national spotlight.

Senior guard Trenton Massner dropped a program-record 46 points — and his highlights landed the Macomb-based school on the SportsCenter broadcast Monday night on ESPN.

"Let's go to Macomb, Illinois," ESPN anchor Scott Van Pelt said as highlights rolled. "Trenton Massner. The Maz. Step back. In your eye hole."

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Massner, a native of Wapello, Iowa, scored half of the Leathernecks' points in a 92-80 home victory over North Dakota. The 6-foot-2, 175-pounder made 16 of 21 shots overall, including a program-record nine 3-pointers on 12 attempts. He scored 33 in the second half as Western (12-8, 5-4) won its third game in a row.

"I don't know how to explain it, I was due for it, I haven't been making a shot all year, it's like if I was making my shot all year, I'd have four or five of those," Massner said in a release from the school. "My teammates got me the ball, that's what I appreciate about the guys, they know I had it going on ..."

The point total is the sixth-most in Summit League history, according to the school, and ties the most points scored by an NCAA Division I men's player this season.

Massner is in his second season in Macomb after transferring from Northwestern State. He officially tied the school record when he hit a step-back 3-pointer with just over a minute to play.

"That's my shot, going to my left and step back," Massner said. "I had had in my mind the whole time, Boudy (Coach Chad Boudreau) said I needed three for the record, it was like 'OK, I can get my shot whenever I want, I'll dribble to the left wing.'

"I knew I could get to my step-back and get it off, and I was hot, so it went in. Then it was like 'OK, somebody's helping me out.' "

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Western Illinois' Trenton Massner scores school record 46 points