Men's Basketball News Releases
LaDew becomes all-time scoring leader with 1,381 points
MOUNT VERNON - Cornell College's basketball scoring kings seem to go in cycles, every 22 years. Only time will tell for senior shooting guard Griffin LaDew (Pewaukee, Wis./Waukesha Catholic Memorial).
Jack Grams (1962-65) held the school's career scoring record of 1,343 points for 22 years. Jeff Fleming (1983-87) reset the mark with 1,373 points and kept it for another 22 years. The record now belongs to LaDew.
LaDew replaced Fleming as the most prolific scorer in Cornell history Monday night against the rival Coe Kohawks at Eby Fieldhouse in Cedar Rapids. It took LaDew only one half to score the 14 points needed to break the mark. He achieved the milestone on a deep jumper from the top of the key with 34 seconds remaining before halftime.
Cornell head coach Mike DeGeorge called timeout after LaDew's record-breaking bucket to recognize the feat.
"Griffin is the quintessential Division III player," DeGeorge said. "He is limited athletically, but has incredible instincts for the game and great body control. This combination has helped him become such a tremendous scorer. He is the most skilled basketball player I have coached.
"I am most proud of Griffin not for all the points, but for everything else he has done to grow as a person and a player to provide the leadership and model of success for our program."
LaDew finished his record-setting night with a game-high 21 points. He enjoyed a near flawless shooting game, going 7-of-10 from the field, 3-of-3 from 3-point range and 4-of-4 from the foul line in 28 minutes of work. LaDew and teammates also celebrated an 81-56 Cornell win, the Rams' largest margin of victory over Coe since Jan. 8, 1994.
LaDew, a four-year starter and two-time all-Iowa Conference performer, has now totaled 1,381 points in 92 games with the Rams. He's racked up 223 points this season after netting 434 as a junior, 400 as a sophomore and 324 as a freshman.
The 6-foot-2 LaDew broke the scoring mark on the same court he notched his 1,000th career point a year ago. He started his senior campaign ranked ninth on the school's scoring chart. On his way to the top this season, LaDew climbed over former Cornell standouts Lloyd Olmstead (1,230 points, 1951-53), Abe Tubbs (1,240 points, 1992-94), Mark Christoffersen (1,268 points, 1986-89), Luke Feddersen (1,271 points, 1999-2003), Chad Wisco (1,322 points, 1975-79), Grams, Chris Heller (1,352 points, 1989-92) and Fleming.
LaDew has averaged 15.0 points per game over his career. He has buried 470 career field goals (45.8 percent), including a school-best 211 3-pointers (40.9 percent). LaDew is a career 88.5 percent free throw shooter, making 230-of-260 attempts.
Fleming, a Maquoketa native, was a three-time first team all-Midwest Conference performer for the Rams. The 5-9 point guard started all 89 games at Cornell and held a career scoring average of 15.4 points.
Fleming, who also holds the school record for assists with 453, was surprised his scoring mark hadn't fallen earlier.
"I didn't think mine would last this long," said Fleming, who is a professor at Rice University in Houston, Texas. "I didn't average a tremendous amount of points per season. It was more the fact that I played four years. The longevity, in itself, is an important thing. I was fortunate to play college basketball for four years and I was also able to get a great education, which was important to me.
"Records are meant to be broken. Congratulations to Griffin."
