Kangaroos Continue Road Trip At North Dakota State On Saturday Night
1/18/2008 1:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Setting
The UMKC men's basketball team will face off against North Dakota State on Saturday night at the Bison Sports Arena in Fargo, N.D. The Kangaroos and Bison are scheduled to tip-off at 7 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.
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.gobison.com.
A Look At North Dakota State
The Bison enter Saturday's game with an even 9-9 overall record and a 3-4 mark in Summit League play after cruising to an easy 75-54 victory over Southern Utah on Thursday night in Fargo. Guard Ben Woodside was one of two NDSU players in double figures, as he finished with a game-high 26 points.
North Dakota State had been on a bit of a slide, as it has lost four of its last six games, including its previous three games prior to beating SUU. The Bison opened the losing streak with a home loss to Oakland (71-73) on Jan. 5 before dropping road contests at IUPUI (46-60) and Western Illinois (67-83) last weekend.
Three players are averaging in double figures on the year. Woodside is pacing the team and the league with a 21.7 scoring average. The guard is shooting .481 from the floor and .398 from three-point range. Forward Brett Winkelman is second on the team and fourth in the conference with a 19.8 average, and he is leading the team (second in the league) with 7.8 rebounds per night. Guard Mike Nelson is the third player in double figures with 14.7 points per contest.
NDSU is averaging 78.1 points per game on .472 shooting from the floor and .381 from long range. The squad is also +4.4 on the glass (36.4-31.9), and it has a positive assist-to-turnover ration on the year (269-261).
NDSU Game Facts
- The Bison are the top scoring team in The Summit League this season with a 78.1 scoring average. The squad is also leading the conference in assists (14.94 p/game), and it has the top rebounding margin (+4.4).
- IUPUI limited NDSU to a season-low 46 points on Jan. 10 in Indianapolis. During its three-game slide, the Bison were averaging 61.3 points per contest.
- Ben Woodside and Brett Winkelman both would rank among the top-25 in the nation in scoring if NDSU was eligible to count in statistics. Woodwide would rank 13th in the nation with a 21.5 average, while Winkelman would be tied for 25th with a 20.5 scoring clip.
- NDSU is not eligible for The Summit League Championships in March due to NCAA reclassification rules. The squad will be eligible for the postseason beginning next season.
NDSU vs. UMKC - The Series
The series between UMKC and North Dakota State is tied at 1-1. The Kangaroos won the first meeting in Kansas City, 80-67, on Jan. 10, 2005. The win was a part of UMKC's school record 11-game winning streak. NDSU, meanwhile, won in Fargo, 67-63, in the last meeting on Jan. 17, 2006.
Last Contest
The Kangaroos picked up their first road win of the season with a 64-58 decision over South Dakota State on Thursday night in Brookings. UMKC grabbed the 50-47 lead with 7:49 remaining, and it never trailed again in the six-point win. The Kangaroos sealed the game from the foul line, as they made 7-of-8 free throws in the final minute of regulation.
Notes From The SDSU Game
- UMKC's bench outscored SDSU's reserves, 25-8. Freshman Spencer Johnson posted a career-high eight points, while Kenny Simms and James Humphrey both added seven. Humphrey's biggest shot came at the 2:11 mark, when he connected on a three-pointer to stretch UMKC's lead to four points.
- The Kangaroos made 13-of-14 second half free throws, and 15-of-19 attempts for the game.
- UMKC won despite having a lower field goal percentage (.375-.462) and three-point field goal percentage (.292-.357).
UMKC In The National Rankings
In the NCAA statistical rankings that were released on Jan. 13, UMKC ranked ninth in the nation as a team in three point field goals per game (9.6) and 31st in the country in three point field goal percentage (.396; 173-437).
Individually, junior Dane Brumagin ranked 18th in three point percentage at .466 (54-116). He is also tied for 41st in three point makes (3.0).
Getting The Road “W”
The Kangaroos got the monkey off their back with a 64-58 victory at South Dakota State on Thursday night in Brookings. The win was the team's first on the road this season, and it was the first road victory of the Matt Brown era. UMKC is now 1-8 in road contests this season. Most importantly, the victory stretched the Kangaroos winning streak to two games.
Interesting Tidbit
The Kangaroos are known for being a good three-point shooting team this season. In fact, in 10 games, UMKC has finished with a higher three-point field goal percentage than overall field goal percentage.
Preventing The TOs
After committing 20 or more turnovers in each of the last three games, the Kangaroos bucked that trend by finishing with just eight miscues at South Dakota State. It was was sixth game this season that the squad has finished with 10 or fewer TOs.
Double-Double Dane
It took 18 games, but junior Dane Brumagin recorded UMKC's first double-double of the season on Jan. 12 against Southern Utah. The forward finished with 21 points on 6-of-13 shooting to go along with a career-high 10 rebounds. The double-double is also the first of Brumagin's career, and it is UMKC's first double-double since Brian Gettinger's 18-point and 10-rebound performance against Oakland on Feb. 15, 2007.
Double Digit Dane
Junior Dane Brumagin notched his second straight and eighth 20-point game of the season on Thursday night at SDSU. The forward finished with 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting, and he finished a perfect 6-of-6 from the charity stripe. The performance came on the heels of a 21-point showing against Southern Utah on Jan. 12.
The Montgomery City, Mo., native has now scored in double figures in 16-of-19 games on the season, and he has been the high scorer for the Kangaroos in 11 games. For his career, Brumagin has 30 games in double figures and 12 games with 20 or more points, which is tied for ninth in the school recordbooks.
On the year, Brumagin is leading the team with an 18.4 scoring average, which is sixth in the league. In conference games only, the forward is leading The Summit League with 23.8 points per contest.
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. As a result, he was named the Mid-Majority Baller of the Week on Dec. 10.
More Than Just A Scorer
Junior Dane Brumagin has not only 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 seven of the last 10 games and in a team-best nine contests on the season. His 5.5 rebounds per game are also tops on the team. Brumagin has finished with eight or more rebounds in five games this season, and he grabbed a career-best 10 rebounds against Southern Utah on Jan. 12.
Blackwell Continues To Score
Senior Tim Blackwell scored in double figures for the second straight game, as he finished with 13 points on 4-of-11 shooting at South Dakota State. In his previous game, the guard notched his third 20-point performance of the season against Southern Utah, when he finished with 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting. The Cameron, Mo., native has scored in double figures in eight games this season and in 38 games in his career. Blackwell also has seven 20-point games in his Kangaroo career.
Triple Me Up
The Kangaroos have made 10 or more three pointers eight games on the season. The squad made a season-high 16 long balls on Dec. 6 at Oakland and 14 treys on Jan. 8 at Missouri.
UMKC is averaging 24.3 three point attempts per game this season. The team is connecting on 9.5 of those chances, while shooting .390 from behind the three-point arch.
The team's 180 three point makes and 461 three point attempts are both tops in The Summit League.
Gettinger “On” In Conference Play
Junior Brian Gettinger has been a big three-point threat for the Kangaroos since the beginning of conference play. The forward has made 15-of-28 attempts for a .536 three-point field goal percentage. The mark is fourth best in the league.
A Second Half Team
The Kangaroos are making it a habit of falling behind early and rallying late. UMKC is being outscored by 108 points in the first half of games this season (671-563). The squad, however, is outscoring its opposition in the final 20 minutes by 26 points (729-703). The Kangaroos are averaging 29.6 points in first halves of games compared to 35.3 points per contest in the second half.
UMKC has scored 50 or more points in a half this season on three occasions and all three outbursts have come in the final 20 minutes. The team scored 61 points in the second half at Oakland on Dec. 6 and 54 points in games against Arkansas Tech and Loyola Chicago.
Steal City
The Kangaroos matched a season-high with 11 steals against Missouri on Jan. 8. Freshman Nathan Balch had a career-high four swipes in the contest, which is tied for the team-high in a game this season. Junior Dane Brumagin also finished with four steals for the Kangaroos against WIU on Jan. 5.
Balance Is Key
The Kangaroos had four players score in double figures in the victory over Loyola Chicago on Dec. 22. It was the fifth game this season for the team to have at least four players with 10 or more points. On Nov. 24, UMKC had a season-high five players score in double figures in the 90-82 victory over Arkansas Tech.
UMKC now has four players on the year that are averaging 10 points or more per game. Dane Brumagin (18.4), Brent Stephens (11.3) and Reggie Hamilton (10.7) and Tim Blackwell (10.6) are all averaging in double figures.
Stephens Posts Second 20-Point Game Of The Season
Senior Brent Stephens returned to the starting line-up at Missouri on Jan. 8, and he responded with his first 20-point game since Nov. 13 when he scored 28 against Washburn. The forward finished with 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting at Mizzou. He made 3-of-6 from long range.
On the year, Stephens is second on the team with a 11.3 scoring average. He has finished in double digits in 11-of-19 games and in 34 contests in his Kangaroo career.
Getting After It Defensively
The Kangaroos have forced 146 (16.2 p/game) turnovers over the past nine games. The squad has also been contesting the three-point shot, as their opponents have made just 48-of-150 of their attempts for a .320 percentage.
M.I.A.
Junior Alex Pledger has not seen any game action since the season opener at Kansas on Nov. 11. Pledger is sidelined with an ankle injury and elbow injury.
Solid Freshman Season
Freshman Reggie Hamilton has had a solid freshman campaign for the Kangaroos through the first half of the season. The Harvey, Ill., native has been in double digits in 13-of-19 games. He finished with a career-high 19 points in back-to-back games against Eastern Washington and Oakland earlier this season.
Hamilton is third on the team in scoring with a 10.7 average. He is also leading the team in assists (63), and he's second in steals (21) on the year.
Hitting The Offensive Glass
The Kangaroos have finished with 10 or more offensive rebounds in 12 of 19 games this season. UMKC averages 11.6 offensive boards per game, which ranks third in The Summit League. The squad finished with a season-high 17 offensive rebounds against Central Arkansas on Dec. 29.
