Over the course of 599 career victories, MCC men’s basketball coach Jerry Burns has had a knack for putting the right player into the right situation to maximize the possibility for success.

So it was only fitting that victory No. 600 followed that same script.

This time around, the player was Izaha Jackson, and the freshman’s career-high 29 points helped lead the Tribunes to a 93-79 victory over Niagara County Community College and clinch a perfect mark in the Western New York Athletic Conference.

In his 24th season, Burns now boasts a career mark of 600 wins and 154 losses.

Next up for Monroe (12-0 WNYAC, 24-4 overall) is the Region III, Division II tournament, which the team will host Feb. 28 and March 1.

Jackson was the offensive catalyst for MCC. The 6-foot shooting guard was on fire in the first half, coming off the bench to hit 5-of-6 from the field, both his 3’s, and all seven free throws. The 19 first-half points helped stake Monroe to a 47-34 lead at the break.

Over his last two games, Jackson is averaging 21 points while shooting 73 percent from the field (11-for-15) and 88 percent from beyond the arc (7-for-8).

The Thunderwolves answered the call in the second half to the tune of 45 points, but Monroe did them one better over the final 20 minutes to hang on for the win.

The Tribune bench accounted for 55 points on the afternoon, compared to just 10 for Niagara. Darwin Trotman joined Jackson in the mix by finishing with 18 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

Michael Kelly Jr. chipped in with 15 points and nine rebounds for MCC. Devin Coleman added 11 points and five assists.

The Tribunes shot 52 percent from the field on the game (28-of-54) while hitting 28-of-39 free throws. Jackson was 11-for-13 from the charity stripe and Trotman knocked down eight of his 12 attempts.

Burns is just the second head coach in MCC history – in any sport – to reach the 600-win plateau. Longtime baseball coach H. David Chamberlain amassed 735 wins in 33 years as skipper.

Stay with HoopDirt for the latest college basketball coaching news and rumors.