'Roos Open Final Home Stand Against Centenary On Thursday
2/24/2010 10:14:00 AM | Men's Basketball
THE SETTING
The UMKC men's basketball team will return to Municipal Auditorium for the final two games of the regular season beginning with a Thursday night tilt against Centenary. The game, which will tip-off at 7:05 p.m., will be broadcast live on Metro Sports. The Kangaroos enter play in eighth place in The Summit League with a 5-11 mark, while the Gents are ninth with a 3-13 record.
ON THE AIR
Radio: 810 AM WHB (Steven Davis - p-b-p; Steven St. John- color)
Television: Metro Sports (Neil Harwell - p-b-p; Doug Elstun - color)
Web: Roo Vision (UMKCKangaroos.com)
Live Stats: UMKCKangaroos.com
LAST TIME OUT
UMKC dropped its regular season road finale at Western Illinois on Feb. 20 in Macomb by the count of 64-59. The 'Roos rallied to within three points twice in the final two minutes after trailing by as many as 15 points early in the second half. Jay Couisnard and LaTreze Mushatt paced the squad by scoring 15 points apiece in the game.
THE COACHES
Head Coach Matt Brown is in his third season with the UMKC men's basketball program, where he has compiled an 29-61 overall record and has coached three players to all-Summit League recognition. Former forward Dane Brumagin was a second team all-league honoree and Reggie Hamilton was an all-newcomer team selection in 2007-08, while Brumagin earned an honorable mention all-league nod in 2008-09. Last season, Brown guided the 'Roos to a pair of wins over Missouri Valley Conference foes Wichita State and Bradley. It was just the third time in school history for the team to beat two MVC teams in the same season.
Greg Gary is in his second season as the head coach of the Centenary men's basketball program, where he has posted an 16-42 overall record. Gary joined the Gents following a one-year stint at Duquesne and a three-year stay at South Florida.
UMKC-CC - FIRST MEETING - DEC. 5, 2009
The 'Roos rallied from a 10 point deficit in the final 3:26 to claim an 84-83 road victory at Centenary on Dec. 5 in Shreveport. Junior Bakari Lewis led a group of four UMKC players in double digits, finishing with 18 points on 4-of-8 shooting. Lewis carried the 'Roos in the clutch, as he scored the final seven points for the team, which included hitting the game-winning jumper with 3.3 seconds remaining to propel the squad to the victory. David Perez paced a group of four Gents in double digits with 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting.
SCOUTING CENTENARY
The Gents enter Thursday's contest with an 8-19 overall record and a 3-13 mark in Summit League play. Last week, Centenary dropped a 76-56 road game at Oral Roberts.
A pair of CC players are averaging in double digits on the season and six Gents score at least 7.1 points a night. Guard David Perez is pacing the squad with a 15.0 per game average, while shooting 42.8 percent from the floor and 39.1 percent from long range. Guard Daman Starring is second on the team with an 11.6 average to go along with a team-high 42 steals. Big man Jerrald Bonham is the squad's top rebounder, pulling in 5.0 per, while adding 8.5 points a night.
The Gents are shooting .412 from the floor, .354 from long range and .737 from the free throw line en route to averaging 71.1 points per game. Defensively, CC gives up 80.3 points while allowing its opponents to shoot .493 from the field and .378 from three-point land. The Gents are also -8.6 on the glass.
CC GAME NOTES
• After starting the year with a 4-2 record, the Gents have dropped three straight, 7-of-8, 10-of-12, 12-of-16 and 17-of-21. The 84-83 home loss to UMKC on Dec. 5 started the team's extended slide.
• Centenary's last victory came at IPFW when it downed the Mastodons 80-78 in Fort Wayne. The win was the Gents first road Summit League victory on the year and it completed a league sweep for CC in the series this season.
• Centenary assistant coach Mark Richmond was a team manager at West Virginia for four years where he worked with UMKC Head Coach Matt Brown.
THE SERIES
Thursday's meeting will be the 15th in the all-time series between UMKC and Centenary with the 'Roos holding the 10-4 advantage. UMKC has won six straight over the Gents in Kansas City to push its record to 6-1. Centenary's lone win in KC came on Jan. 28, 1988.
'ROO TIDBITS
• An eternity... There will be a span of 82 days between the first and second meetings between UMKC and Centenary this season.
• Junior Spencer Johnson made his 50th consecutive start at Western Illinois on Feb. 20. The forward has started 57 of the last 58 contests for the 'Roos.
• UMKC has given up 12 dunks over the past two games. In contrast, the squad gave up a total of just 18 flushes over the first 25 contests.
• The 'Roos are 7-3 this season when junior Jay Couisnard attempts eight or more free throws in a game. Overall, UMKC is 8-2 when it attempts more free throws than its opposition.
• Over the last three games, UMKC opponents have been shooting 62.0 (88-142) percent from the floor, 47.6 (20-42) percent from long range and 80.6 (54-67) percent from the charity stripe en route to scoring 83.3 points per game. IUPUI's .679 field goal percentage on Feb. 18 was a season-high for a UMKC opponent this season.
• UMKC out rebounded Western Illinois, 35-25, on Feb. 20. It was the 11th game this season that the 'Roos have won the battle on the boards. The squad is 7-4 in such contests.
• Sophomores Trey McKinney-Jones and LaTreze Mushatt tallied career-highs in points in the loss to Oakland. McKinney-Jones finished with 22 points, while Mushatt netted 21. It was the first time this season that a pair of players netted 20 or more points in the same game and the first time since Dec. 4, 2008, against Oakland for the 'Roos to accomplish this feat.
• Junior Spencer Johnson moved into eighth place in school history in career rebounds with his four carom outing at IUPUI, as he now has 410. He is just two boards shy of seventh place in the record books. The forward also ranks 25th in career scoring with 601 points.
• Sophomores LaTreze Mushatt and Trey McKinney-Jones are ninth and 10th, respectively, in The Summit League in field goal percentage at .478 and .473.
• The X factor? UMKC is 8-3 this season when junior Spencer Johnson reaches double figures.
• Freshman Kirk Korver has made two or more three pointers in eight games on the season and he is leading the team with 24 long balls. The total is the 10th most by a freshman in school history. His .364 three-point percentage, meanwhile, is tied for the seventh best mark by a freshman in the annals.
• Foul trouble has been consistently plaguing junior Jay Couisnard, as the forward has had four or more fouls in 17 games with seven disqualifications.
• In wins, UMKC is averaging 72.0 points on .449 shooting from the floor and .354 from long range in victories. The squad has also shot 77 more free throws than its opponent. The opposition, meanwhile, shoots .417 from the field, .358 from distance and averages 16.7 turnovers per game.
• In losses, the 'Roos average 61.6 points with a .406 field goal percentage and a .325 mark from three-point land. The opposition, meanwhile, shoots .518 from the floor, .380 from long range and has attempted 126 more free throws than UMKC.
• The 'Roos are shooting .442 from the floor and .357 from long range at home and .407 from the field and .320 from long range on the road.
• In seven games at Municipal, UMKC is shooting .408 from the floor, .342 from long range and .700 from the charity stripe. In contrast, the opposition is shooting .437 from the field, .342 from three-point land and .745 from the free throw stripe.
• UMKC's reserves average 18.0 points per game.
TOURNAMENT BOUND
Despite dropping the five point road decision at Western Illinois on Feb. 20, UMKC clinched a berth into The Summit League Tournament courtesy of Southern Utah's road loss at IUPUI. Oakland, IUPUI and Oral Roberts have clinched the top-three seeds, while Nos. 4-8 have yet to be finalized.
ROCKMANN TAKES THE COURT
Freshman Max Rockmann appeared in the first two games of his Kangaroo career last weekend, averaging 4.5 points on 3-of-5 shooting. In his debut at IUPUI, the forward netted nine points on 3-of-3 shooting.
The Germany native missed the first 25 games of the season due to transfer regulations and NCAA rules regarding amateurism.
TWICE AS NICE
The 'Roos had two players - Jay Couisnard (20 pts./10 reb.) and Spencer Johnson (10 pts./11 reb.) - tally double-doubles in the 65-56 victory over IPFW on Feb. 11. It was the first time that two players recorded a double-double in the same game since Dec. 4, 2008, when Dane Brumagin (29 pts./10 reb.) and Spencer Johnson (20 pts./13 reb.) accomplished the feat against Oakland.
MUSHATT AVERAGING 16.8 OVER LAST FOUR
Sophomore LaTeze Mushatt is having a productive stretch for the 'Roos, as the forward has reached double digits in four straight and in five of the last six contests. During the stretch, the forward netted a career-best 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting in the home loss to Oakland.
During the current four-game stretch, Mushatt is averaging a team-high 16.8 points and 6.8 rebounds, while shooting 58.1 (25-43) from the floor and 42.9 percent (3-7) from long range.
This season, Mushatt has provided the 'Roos with a steady scoring option, as he has reached double figures in 17 contests. In the road win at Centenary on Dec. 5, the Michigan native tallied his first career double-double, as he finished with 17 points and 10 boards.
Mushatt is second on the team with 11.4 points per outing, while shooting a team-best .478 from the floor, which ranks ninth in The Summit League. He is also second on the team with 5.5 rebounds per game, while also dishing out 45 assists, which are tied for the fourth most on the squad.
10 STRAIGHT FOR JC
Junior Jay Couisnard has scored in double digits in each of the last 10 contests for the 'Roos, as he extended his streak with a 15-point outing at Western Illinois on Feb. 20. Since the streak began on Jan. 21, Couisnard is pacing the squad with a 16.4 average during the stretch, while shooting .446 (54-121) from the floor and .774 (48-62) from the free throw stripe. Couisnard tallied his first and second career double-doubles during the streak, finishing with 18 points and 13 rebounds at North Dakota State and 20 points and 10 boards against IPFW. Additionally, he scored 20 or more points in three games and 18 or more in five contests. Couisnard has also picked up his productivity on the glass, pulling down 6.3 caroms per game.
'ROOS AMONG SINGLE SEASON CLASS LEADERS
Sophomore LaTreze Mushatt's recent surge has catapulted him into the top-10 in several categories in the UMKC sophomore single season records. The forward currently ranks sixth in rebounds (148) and field goals (121), seventh in points (309), ninth in field goal attempts (253) and 10th in starts (25). Fellow sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones, meanwhile, ranks fifth and sixth in free throws (75) and free throw attempts (97).
In the junior class, Jay Couisnard is fifth in free throw makes (108) and attempts (156) and ninth in points (378) and field goal attempts (298). Junior Spencer Johnson is also among the leaders, as his 27 starts are tied for the 10th most.
'ROOS WIN 11TH GAME
UMKC secured its 11th victory of the season with its 65-56 win over IPFW on Feb. 11 at Municipal Auditorium. The 11 wins match the program-high total during the Matt Brown era, as the squad went 11-21 in his inaugural season in 2006-07. This season, UMKC has made a great deal of improvement, as it has surpassed last season's overall (7), league (3) and road (3) win totals.
UMKC TOP WIN TOTALS - DIVISION I HISTORY
20 wins (once) - 1991-92 (later changed to 21 wins due to NCAA violation by UTPA)
18 wins (once) - 2001-02
16 wins (twice) - 1999-00, 2004-05
15 wins (three times) - 1990-91, 1992-93, 2003-04
14 wins (twice) - 2000-01, 2005-06
13 wins (once) - 1989-90
12 wins (three times) - 1993-94, 1995-96, 2006-07
11 wins (twice) - 2007-08, 2009-10 (three games + league tournament remaining)
