The two people who Josh Kozinski considers his biggest supporters are his grandparents. His grandfather underwent surgery in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the same day as the fifth-year guard's record setting performance on Tuesday.

Central Michigan went on to beat Northern Illinois, 81-67, to break a three consecutive losing streak at McGuirk Arena, but it was Kozinski who stole the show.

Dropping eight 3-pointers for a career-high 24 points, Kozinski past former teammate Braylon Rayson for most made career triples in CMU history with 275. He needed five entering the game.

"It means so much," Kozinski said. "We've had some great shooters come through this program. To be surrounded by such great shooters and such good guys, it means a lot."

The Edwardsburg, Michigan, native went 8-of-15 from long distance as the Chippewas sunk 17 total 3-point field goals for their third win in Mid-American Conference play.

This was no question the best single-game outing for Kozinski since joining the team before the 2013 season. The most previous game in which he scored 20 points or more was back on Dec. 30, 2016, against Chicago State.

Kozinski has also never recorded eight baskets from beyond the arc before this week.

"It feels good to have the confidence from my teammates," Kozinski said. "Also, to have guys get open shots because of me is also a great feeling. Once you get in the game and you see the ball going through the net one time, you think everything's going in."

Next to line for the coveted prize is David DiLeo, who's now at 121 triples in just under two seasons. The sophomore hit four 3-pointers to finish with 17 points and 11 rebounds for his fifth career double-double.

Tying his career-high with seven assists, junior transfer Shawn Roundtree led the way in Central Michigan securing a season-high 20 assists.

"If David stays healthy, he has a chance," CMU head coach Keno Davis said. "He’s that good of a shooter. Josh is a tough one to catch because he is able to put up points in a hurry. We don’t win the championships without Josh on the team."

It's to be expected that the record breaking night was delayed this year because of a wrist injury once the season began. Kozinski hasn't missed a game but his ability to find the right timing suffered, only attempting double-digit attempts twice before Tuesday.

Kozinski's on-the-court leadership, however, was too important for him to stay away during the non-conference stretch, an example of his biggest asset being more than a 3-point shooter.

"I was locked in mentally and got that off my back while I knew (my grandfather) was watching," Kozinski said. "God’s plan is there.”