Kangaroos Set To Host Loyola Chicago At Noon On Saturday
12/20/2007 5:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Setting
The UMKC men's basketball team will close out its three-game homestand against Loyola Chicago on Saturday afternoon at Municipal Auditorium. The game between the Kangaroos and Ramblers will tip-off at 12:05 p.m.
On The Air
All UMKC men's basketball games can be heard on Sports Radio 810 WHB AM. Fans can also hear the games online at www.810whb.com. “The Voice of the Kangaroos” Danny Clinkscale will call the play-by-play action for UMKC for the seventh straight season. Former Kangaroo Michael Watson will serve as the color commentator.
On The Web
Fans can watch all UMKC home games and all league contests live on SummitTV. Fans can access SummitTV through www.umkckangaroos.com or www.thesummitleague.org. More than 275 men's and women's games will be featured as part of the $49.95 annual subscription package.
Live Stats
Fans can follow the action as it happens via live stats at www.umkckangaroos.com.
A Look At Loyola Chicago
The Ramblers enter Saturday's game with a 4-6 overall record and a 1-1 mark in the Horizon League. LUC has won two-of-three games following a five-game-losing streak. The squad topped Wisconsin-Milwaukee (73-68-OT) and Northern Illinois (76-72-OT) before falling 60-43 to Saint Louis on Wednesday night. Reserve Justin Cerasoli was the only player in double digits with 12 points in the defeat.
Three Loyola players are averaging in double figures on the season. Guard J.R. Blount is pacing the team 16.5 points, 2.5 assists and 1.9 steals per contest. Cerasoli, meanwhile, averages 12.0 points, while Leon Young adds 11.6 points and a team-best 6.5 rebounds.
The Ramblers are struggling with their long range shooting on the year, as the squad is connecting on just 27.8 (42-151) percent of its attempts. LUC also averages 13.8 turnovers to just 9.9 assists.
Loyola Chicago Game Facts
- Jim Whitesell is in his fourth season at Loyola. Prior to moving to LUC, Whitesell spent 12 years at Lewis University, where he led his teams to five Division II NCAA Tournaments.
- Loyola, which received a pair of first place votes, was picked to finish fifth in the Horizon League preseason poll this season. They were chosen to finish just ahead of former Mid-Con school, Valparaiso, in the standings.
- Guard Justin Cerasoli saw his first action of the season for LUC on Wednesday against Saint Louis. Cerasoli transferred to Loyola after play at the University of Mississippi.
- Loyola and UMKC share a common opponent this season. The Ramblers fell to Northern Iowa, 61-50, on Dec. 1 in Cedar Falls, while the Kangaroos fell to the Panthers, 64-60, in overtime on Wednesday.
Loyola (Ill.) vs. UMKC - The Series
Saturday's meeting is the third in the all-time series between UMKC and Loyola. The Ramblers have won both of the previous meetings between the two schools. LUC won 86-76 in Chicago in 2002 and 83-75 in overtime in Kansas City in 2003.
Last Contest
The Kangaroos fought back from an 11-point deficit to force overtime, but the team fell to Northern Iowa, 64-60, at Municipal Auditorium on Wednesday night. Three Kangaroo players finished the game in double figures with senior Tim Blackwell leading the squad with 21 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
Notes From The UNI Game
- UMKC forced Northern Iowa into 15 turnovers in the contest. The Panthers entered the game ranked in the top-15 in the nation in fewest turnovers per game. The Kangaroos capitalized on the miscues, as they outscored UNI, 19-3, in points of TOs.
- The Panthers, however, outscored UMKC in the paint, 28-12. UNI's bench also topped the Kangaroo reserves, 19-6.
- UMKC's starters played 78 percent of the minutes in Wednesday's game. Four of the five starters for the Kangaroos played over 35 minutes.
Back To The Friendly Confines Of Municipal
The Kangaroos are in the midst of a stretch where they play six of eight games inside the friendly confines of Municipal Auditorium. The squad has had success at their home venue this season, as it has posted a 4-2 record.
The squad is averaging 69.8 points at Municipal, while shooting .406 from the floor and .411 from long range. UMKC is averaging 9.7 three point field goals on its home court this season.
Taking Care Of The Basketball
The Kangaroos have done a much better job of taking care of the basketball over the past handful of games. UMKC committed just eight turnovers in the victory over Wichita State and nine on Wednesday against Northern Iowa. Over the past three games, the Kangaroos have averaged just 9.3 turnovers per contest.
Second Half Brumagin
Junior Dane Brumagin is making it a habit in scoring bunches of points in the second halves of games. The forward was held scoreless in the first half in each of the past two contests before scoring 13 in the second stanza against Wichita State and 12 against Northern Iowa. Brumagin's biggest second half performance came at Oakland, when he scored 29 points for the Kangaroos.
Double Digit Dane
Junior Dane Brumagin has scored in double figures in each of the past four contests for the Kangaroos, and in seven of the past eight games. The forward finished with 12 points on Wednesday night in the overtime loss to Northern Iowa.
On the year, the Montgomery City, Mo., native has reached double digits in 10-of-12 games, which includes five games with 20 or more points. Brumagin has been UMKC's high scorer in seven games on the year.
Brumagin's most prolific games of the season, and his career, came during a two-game stretch in early December when he scored 75 points in two games. The forward netted 40 points at Oakland on Dec. 6 on 12-of-17 shooting, and he followed it up with 35 points on 14-of-20 shooting at IPFW on Dec. 8.
Buckling Down Defensively
The Kangaroos continued their solid defensive play on Wednesday against Northern Iowa, as they limited the Panthers to just 64 points in the overtime loss. UMKC allowed UNI to connect on just four three-point attempts in the game, and the Panthers scored just 21 second half points.
The performance came on the heels of the team's best defensive effort of the season in the victory over Wichita State on Dec. 15. The Kangaroos held the Shockers to opponent lows in five major categories - points (56), field goals (17), field goal percentage (.378), three-point field goals (4) and three-point field goal percentage (.235).
Over the past two games, UMKC has limited its opposition to just eight three-point field goals and a .242 three-point percentage. The opponents are also averaging just 60.0 points per game.
Blackwell Notches Fifth Career 20-Point Game
Senior Tim Blackwell scored in double figures for the third straight game, as he finished with 21 points on 5-of-8 shooting on Wednesday against Northern Iowa. The guard made 3-of-5 three pointers and 8-of-10 free throws in the contest.
The 20-point game is Blackwell's fifth such game in his UMKC career. It is also the guard's fourth game in double figures this season and the 34th career double-figure game.
Over the past three games, the Cameron, Mo., native has been averaging 17.3 points on .500 (14-28) shooting. He has also been getting the the charity stripe, as he's made 18-of-23 attempts for the squad.
Hamilton Is Strong For UMKC
Freshman Reggie Hamilton scored in double figures for the second straight game and for the 10th time in 12 games this season. The guard finished with 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting on Wednesday night against the Panthers.
The Harvey, Ill., native is second on the team in scoring with a 12.4 average. He is also leading the team in both assists (42) and steals (16) on the year.
More Than Just A Scorer
Junior Dane Brumagin has been UMKC's most consistent scorer this season, but the forward has also been one of the team's top rebounders. The Montgomery City, Mo., native has led the team on the boards in each of the last three games and in a team-best five contests on the season. His 4.9 rebounds per game are second most on the team.
Hitting The Offensive Glass
The Kangaroos have finished with 10 or more offensive rebounds in seven of the 12 games this season, including each of the past two games against Wichita State and Northern Iowa. UMKC averages 11.5 offensive boards per game, which ranks fourth in The Summit League. The squad finished with a season-high 16 offensive boards in back-to-back games against Eastern Washington and Oakland earlier this season.
