'Roos Set For Regular Season Finale On Saturday Night
2/26/2010 5:04:00 PM | Men's Basketball
THE SETTING
The UMKC men's basketball team will close out the regular season on Saturday night when Oral Roberts comes to Municipal Auditorium for a 7:05 p.m. contest. The game will be broadcast live on Metro Sports with Neil Harwell and Doug Elstun providing the call. The 'Roos, who are fresh off their 83-69 win over Centenary, bring a 6-11 Summit League mark into the game, while the Golden Eagles are third in the standings at 12-5.
ON THE AIR
Radio: 1140/1160 AM (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
The Kangaroos tallied their largest margin of victory in a Summit League game when they defeated Centenary 83-69 on Thursday night at Municipal Auditorium. UMKC had four players finish in double figures in the contest with junior Jay Couisnard pacing the squad with 22 points. Sophomore LaTreze Mushatt, meanwhile, tallied his second career double-double, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
THE COACHES
Head Coach Matt Brown is in his third season with the UMKC men's basketball program, where he has compiled an 30-61 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.
Scott Sutton is in his 11th season as the head coach of the Oral Roberts men's basketball program, where he has posted a 202-138 overall record. During his tenure in Tulsa, Sutton has guided the Golden Eagles to four Summit League regular season titles and finished first or second in the conference seven times. He has also made four post season tournament appearances including three straight NCAA Tournaments from 2006-08.
UMKC-ORU - FIRST MEETING - DEC. 3, 2009
The Kangaroos dropped their Summit League opener at Oral Roberts, 68-57, on Dec. 3 at the Mabee Center. UMKC jumped out to an 11-2 lead in the early going before the Golden Eagles fought back to take a 33-31 lead into the half. ORU then pushed its advantage to nine points early in the second half, but the 'Roos continued fighting pulling to within three points with 10 minutes to play. ORU then made 11-of-13 free throws to close out the game as it went on to claim its 400th all-time win at the Mabee Center. Sophomore LaTreze Mushatt led a group of three UMKC players in double figures with 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting. Three ORU players reached double digits with Michael Craion leading the way with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
SCOUTING ORAL ROBERTS
The Golden Eagles have won four straight and eight of their last 10 games to push their record to 18-12 overall and 12-5 in Summit League play. ORU has already clinched third place in the standings and the No. 3 seed in the league tournament heading into Saturday's game.
Oral Roberts is very balanced offensively, as four players average between 15.5 and 12.2 points per game. Sophomore Dominique Morrison is pacing the squad with 15.5 per night, while shooting .424 from the floor and .844 from the charity stripe. Morrison also is tops on the team in assists with 79. Junior Michael Craion (12.9), freshman Warren Niles (12.7) and senior Kevin Ford (12.2) all average more than 12 points per contest. Ford and Craion are one-two in rebounding at 7.5 and 7.2, respectively.
The Golden Eagles shoot .444 from the floor, .316 from long range and .676 from the charity stripe en route to scoring 65.9 points per game. Defensively, ORU allows 65.9 points and is +4.7 on the glass.
ORU GAME NOTES
• ORU has three Kansas City natives on its 2009-10 roster in Dominique Morrison (Raytown High School), Michael Craion (Ruskin High School) and Roderick Pearson (Raytown South High School). Pearson, however, is out for the year after suffering a knee injury early this season.
• Morrison (15.5) and Craion (12.9) rank among the top-15 in the league in scoring. Craion and Ford, meanwhile, are three-four in rebounding.
• Freshman guard Warren Niles has the highest scoring output in a game this season, as the Ohio native netted 39 points at IUPUI on Jan. 14.
• Kevin Ford (10) and Michael Craion (7) have a combined 17 for double-doubles between them this season. Ford's 10 double-doubles are the second most in the league behind Oakland's Keith Benson.
THE SERIES
Saturday's game will be the 30th meeting in the all-time series between UMKC and Oral Roberts, where the Golden Eagles have won the last nine meetings between the two schools to push their advantage to 19-10. The 'Roos last victory in the series came in 2005 - a 77-70 win in KC - as it closed out a stretch where UMKC won 6-of-7 in the series from 2003 to 2005. In Kansas City, UMKC is 6-9 against the Golden Eagles.
'ROO TIDBITS
• UMKC and ORU played its league openers against each other on Dec. 3, 2009. There will be a span of 86 days between the first and second meetings between the squads.
• The 14-point win over Centenary was UMKC's largest margin of victory in a Summit League game this season.
• Junior Spencer Johnson was not among the starting five for the first time in 50 games on Thursday against Centenary. The last game he didn't start was Nov. 30, 2008, vs. Florida. Johnson has started 57-of-59 games the last two years.
• UMKC dominated the action on the glass, out rebounding Centenary 44-25 on Thursday. The +19 margin was the greatest for the squad this season. It was the second straight game and the 12th contest this season for the 'Roos to win the battle on the glass. The squad is 8-4 in such contests.
• Coach Brown used his ninth different starting line-up this season against the Gents. Max Rockmann made his first career start, while Michael Gholston, Jr., and Fred Chatmon started their second collegiate games. Alex Bazzell and LaTreze Mushatt rounded out the top-five.
• Due to the unusual starting line-up, UMKC held an overwhelming 66-10 advantage in bench production over CC.
• Junior Spencer Johnson broke out of his month-long funk by scoring 16 points on 4-of-8 shooting against Centenary. It was just his second game in double digits in the last nine games and the fourth over the previous 11. UMKC won three of those four contests and are now 9-3 when Johnson reaches double figures.
• Four UMKC players reached double digits in the win over Centenary. The squad is now 6-1 when the team spreads out the scoring.
• The 'Roos made seven three pointers against CC, which were their most in seven contests since making nine triples in the road loss at Southern Utah on Jan. 30.
• The 'Roos are 8-3 this season when junior Jay Couisnard attempts eight or more free throws in a game. Overall, UMKC is 9-2 when it attempts more free throws than its opposition. The squad is 43-of-50 (.860) from the stripe over the last two games.
• 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 seventh place in school history in career rebounding with his seven board outing vs. Centenary giving up a total of 417. The forward also ranks 25th in career scoring with 617 points.
• Sophomores LaTreze Mushatt and Trey McKinney-Jones are eighth and 10th, respectively, in The Summit League in field goal percentage at .483 and .469.
• 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 72.9 points on .449 shooting from the floor and .355 from long range in victories. The squad has also shot 85 more free throws than its opponent. The opposition, meanwhile, shoots .415 from the field, .341 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 .358 from long range at home and .407 from the field and .320 from long range on the road.
• In eight games at Municipal, UMKC is shooting .413 from the floor, .346 from long range and .727 from the charity stripe. In contrast, the opposition is shooting .432 from the field, .338 from three-point land and .750 from the free throw stripe.
• UMKC's reserves average 19.7 points per game.
DA, DA, DA... DADADA
Sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones had the “No. 1 Top Play of the Day” on ESPN SportsCenter's Top-10 plays from Thursday, Feb. 25. The guard took the ball on a fast break and leaped over top of Centenary's Matt Marseille for the two-handed flush midway through the first half.
McKinney-Jones scored 19 points and grabbed nine boards in the contest, as the 'Roos went on to win the game over the Gents, 83-69.
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.
The 'Roos will be the No. 6 seed with a win and a Western Illinois victory over North Dakota State, the seventh seed with a win and a NDSU victory over WIU and the eighth seed with a loss to the Golden Eagles.
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.
ROCKMANN TAKES THE COURT
Freshman Max Rockmann has appeared in all three games, averaging 11.7 minutes per outing, since becoming eligible on Feb. 18 at IUPUI. In his debut against the Jaguars, the forward netted nine points on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting.
The Germany native missed the first 25 games of the season due to transfer regulations and NCAA rules regarding amateurism.
MUSHATT AVERAGING 16.0 OVER LAST FIVE
Sophomore LaTreze Mushatt is having a productive stretch for the 'Roos, as the forward has reached double digits in five straight and in 6-of-7 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 five-games, Mushatt is averaging a team-high 16.0 points and 7.4 rebounds, while shooting 58.5 (31-53) from the floor and 42.9 percent (3-7) from long range. Against Centenary on Feb. 25, he notched his second career double-double, finishing with 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds. It was his second double-double this season against the Gents (17 pts./10 reb. on Dec. 5).
Mushatt has provided the 'Roos with a steady scoring option this season, as he has reached double figures in 18 contests. The Michigan native is second on the team with 11.5 points per, while shooting a team-best .483 from the floor, which ranks eighth in The Summit League. He is also second on the team with 5.6 rebounds per game, and he's paced the squad on the glass in a team-best 12 contests.
MAKE IT 11 STRAIGHT FOR JC
Junior Jay Couisnard has scored in double digits in each of the last 11 contests for the 'Roos, as he extended his streak with a 22-point outing in the win over Centenary on Feb. 25. Since the streak began on Jan. 21, Couisnard is pacing the squad with a 16.9 average during the stretch, while shooting .447 (59-132) from the floor and .797 (59-74) 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 four games and 18 or more in six contests. Couisnard has also picked up his productivity on the glass, pulling down 6.1 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 single season sophomore records. The forward currently ranks fifth in rebounds (158) and field goals (127), sixth in points (322), eighth in field goal attempts (263), tied for eighth in blocks (11), ninth in steals (33) and tied for ninth in starts (26) and field goal percentage (.483). Fellow sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones, meanwhile, ranks fourth and fifth in free throws (82) and free throw attempts (112), ninth in scoring (299) and 10th in rebounding (108).
In the junior class, Jay Couisnard is fourth in free throw makes (119) and fifth in free throw attempts (168), seventh in field goal attempts (309), eighth in points (400) and tied for 10th in scoring average (14.3). Junior Spencer Johnson is also among the leaders, as his 27 starts are tied for the 10th most.
'ROOS SECURE 12TH WIN
UMKC secured its 12th victory of the season with its 83-69 win over Centenary on Feb. 25 at Municipal Auditorium. The 12 wins are a program-high during the Matt Brown era, as his first squad in 2006-07 posted 11 victories. 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, 2009-10 (one game + league tournament remaining)
11 wins (twice) - 2007-08
INCHING TOWARDS THE SUMMIT
The 'Roos have been much more competitive in Summit League play this season, as the squad has posted six wins thus far, up from three a season ago. In the team's 11 league losses, UMKC has either held or been tied for the lead in the second half in four contests, before ultimately falling. Eight of the team's league games have been decided by five points or less with the 'Roos being 4-4 in such contests.
UNDERSIZED JOHNSON CONTINUES BATTLING ON THE BOARDS
Junior Spencer Johnson finished with a season-high 11 boards in the win over IPFW on Feb. 11 to give him a double-digit rebound total in four contests on the year. Johnson has a total of 11 double-digit rebounding games in his Kangaroo career. The Illinois native is pacing the squad on the glass for the second straight year, pulling down a team-high 5.9 boards per game. Should Johnson continue to lead the squad on the glass, he will become the first player since Jimmy Keller (1997-99) to pace the team on the boards in consecutive seasons.
20 x 6
Junior Jay Couisnard notched his sixth 20-point scoring output of the season in the win over Centenary on Feb. 25. The forward made 5-of-11 shot attempts and 11-of-12 free throws in the contest. The 11 free throws were a career and UMKC season-best.
Couisnard has been UMKC's most consistent scorer, as he's reached double figures in a team-best 24 games. The forward has been the team's leading scorer in six of the last eight games and in 16 contests on the year. He has also surpassed the 15-point mark in 13 games. His career-best performance came in his return to his hometown of Houston, when he netted 24 points in the win at Houston Baptist.
On the year, Couisnard is pacing the team and ranks ninth in The Summit League with a 14.3 points per game average, while shooting .414 from the floor and .352 from long range. He also leads the team in free throw makes (119) and attempts (168).
JUST TREY-MENDOUS
Sophomore guard Trey McKinney-Jones has shot 70 percent or better from the floor in five games and 50 percent or better in 15 contests. The guard made 8-of-9 shots in the win at Centenary on Dec. 5 as the 88.9 percentage is the high mark for a 'Roo player this season. Overall, McKinney-Jones ranks 10th in the league with a .469 shooting clip.
SPENCE TALLIES THIRD DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Junior Spencer Johnson tallied his third double-double when he finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds in the 65-56 victory over IPFW on Feb. 11. The performance was the eighth double-double of his career, which is tied for the sixth most in UMKC history. The forward's first two double-doubles came at Oakland (17 pts./10 reb.) on Jan. 14 and against Western Illinois (10 pts./10 reb.) on Jan. 21.
Johnson, who has scored in double digits in 12 games, is fifth on the team with an 8.2 scoring average, while also being tied for second on the squad with 24 long balls. On the boards, Johnson is tops on the team, pulling in 5.9 caroms per game and he's led the squad on the boards in nine contests.
The UMKC men's basketball team will close out the regular season on Saturday night when Oral Roberts comes to Municipal Auditorium for a 7:05 p.m. contest. The game will be broadcast live on Metro Sports with Neil Harwell and Doug Elstun providing the call. The 'Roos, who are fresh off their 83-69 win over Centenary, bring a 6-11 Summit League mark into the game, while the Golden Eagles are third in the standings at 12-5.
ON THE AIR
Radio: 1140/1160 AM (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
The Kangaroos tallied their largest margin of victory in a Summit League game when they defeated Centenary 83-69 on Thursday night at Municipal Auditorium. UMKC had four players finish in double figures in the contest with junior Jay Couisnard pacing the squad with 22 points. Sophomore LaTreze Mushatt, meanwhile, tallied his second career double-double, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
THE COACHES
Head Coach Matt Brown is in his third season with the UMKC men's basketball program, where he has compiled an 30-61 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.
Scott Sutton is in his 11th season as the head coach of the Oral Roberts men's basketball program, where he has posted a 202-138 overall record. During his tenure in Tulsa, Sutton has guided the Golden Eagles to four Summit League regular season titles and finished first or second in the conference seven times. He has also made four post season tournament appearances including three straight NCAA Tournaments from 2006-08.
UMKC-ORU - FIRST MEETING - DEC. 3, 2009
The Kangaroos dropped their Summit League opener at Oral Roberts, 68-57, on Dec. 3 at the Mabee Center. UMKC jumped out to an 11-2 lead in the early going before the Golden Eagles fought back to take a 33-31 lead into the half. ORU then pushed its advantage to nine points early in the second half, but the 'Roos continued fighting pulling to within three points with 10 minutes to play. ORU then made 11-of-13 free throws to close out the game as it went on to claim its 400th all-time win at the Mabee Center. Sophomore LaTreze Mushatt led a group of three UMKC players in double figures with 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting. Three ORU players reached double digits with Michael Craion leading the way with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
SCOUTING ORAL ROBERTS
The Golden Eagles have won four straight and eight of their last 10 games to push their record to 18-12 overall and 12-5 in Summit League play. ORU has already clinched third place in the standings and the No. 3 seed in the league tournament heading into Saturday's game.
Oral Roberts is very balanced offensively, as four players average between 15.5 and 12.2 points per game. Sophomore Dominique Morrison is pacing the squad with 15.5 per night, while shooting .424 from the floor and .844 from the charity stripe. Morrison also is tops on the team in assists with 79. Junior Michael Craion (12.9), freshman Warren Niles (12.7) and senior Kevin Ford (12.2) all average more than 12 points per contest. Ford and Craion are one-two in rebounding at 7.5 and 7.2, respectively.
The Golden Eagles shoot .444 from the floor, .316 from long range and .676 from the charity stripe en route to scoring 65.9 points per game. Defensively, ORU allows 65.9 points and is +4.7 on the glass.
ORU GAME NOTES
• ORU has three Kansas City natives on its 2009-10 roster in Dominique Morrison (Raytown High School), Michael Craion (Ruskin High School) and Roderick Pearson (Raytown South High School). Pearson, however, is out for the year after suffering a knee injury early this season.
• Morrison (15.5) and Craion (12.9) rank among the top-15 in the league in scoring. Craion and Ford, meanwhile, are three-four in rebounding.
• Freshman guard Warren Niles has the highest scoring output in a game this season, as the Ohio native netted 39 points at IUPUI on Jan. 14.
• Kevin Ford (10) and Michael Craion (7) have a combined 17 for double-doubles between them this season. Ford's 10 double-doubles are the second most in the league behind Oakland's Keith Benson.
THE SERIES
Saturday's game will be the 30th meeting in the all-time series between UMKC and Oral Roberts, where the Golden Eagles have won the last nine meetings between the two schools to push their advantage to 19-10. The 'Roos last victory in the series came in 2005 - a 77-70 win in KC - as it closed out a stretch where UMKC won 6-of-7 in the series from 2003 to 2005. In Kansas City, UMKC is 6-9 against the Golden Eagles.
'ROO TIDBITS
• UMKC and ORU played its league openers against each other on Dec. 3, 2009. There will be a span of 86 days between the first and second meetings between the squads.
• The 14-point win over Centenary was UMKC's largest margin of victory in a Summit League game this season.
• Junior Spencer Johnson was not among the starting five for the first time in 50 games on Thursday against Centenary. The last game he didn't start was Nov. 30, 2008, vs. Florida. Johnson has started 57-of-59 games the last two years.
• UMKC dominated the action on the glass, out rebounding Centenary 44-25 on Thursday. The +19 margin was the greatest for the squad this season. It was the second straight game and the 12th contest this season for the 'Roos to win the battle on the glass. The squad is 8-4 in such contests.
• Coach Brown used his ninth different starting line-up this season against the Gents. Max Rockmann made his first career start, while Michael Gholston, Jr., and Fred Chatmon started their second collegiate games. Alex Bazzell and LaTreze Mushatt rounded out the top-five.
• Due to the unusual starting line-up, UMKC held an overwhelming 66-10 advantage in bench production over CC.
• Junior Spencer Johnson broke out of his month-long funk by scoring 16 points on 4-of-8 shooting against Centenary. It was just his second game in double digits in the last nine games and the fourth over the previous 11. UMKC won three of those four contests and are now 9-3 when Johnson reaches double figures.
• Four UMKC players reached double digits in the win over Centenary. The squad is now 6-1 when the team spreads out the scoring.
• The 'Roos made seven three pointers against CC, which were their most in seven contests since making nine triples in the road loss at Southern Utah on Jan. 30.
• The 'Roos are 8-3 this season when junior Jay Couisnard attempts eight or more free throws in a game. Overall, UMKC is 9-2 when it attempts more free throws than its opposition. The squad is 43-of-50 (.860) from the stripe over the last two games.
• 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 seventh place in school history in career rebounding with his seven board outing vs. Centenary giving up a total of 417. The forward also ranks 25th in career scoring with 617 points.
• Sophomores LaTreze Mushatt and Trey McKinney-Jones are eighth and 10th, respectively, in The Summit League in field goal percentage at .483 and .469.
• 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 72.9 points on .449 shooting from the floor and .355 from long range in victories. The squad has also shot 85 more free throws than its opponent. The opposition, meanwhile, shoots .415 from the field, .341 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 .358 from long range at home and .407 from the field and .320 from long range on the road.
• In eight games at Municipal, UMKC is shooting .413 from the floor, .346 from long range and .727 from the charity stripe. In contrast, the opposition is shooting .432 from the field, .338 from three-point land and .750 from the free throw stripe.
• UMKC's reserves average 19.7 points per game.
DA, DA, DA... DADADA
Sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones had the “No. 1 Top Play of the Day” on ESPN SportsCenter's Top-10 plays from Thursday, Feb. 25. The guard took the ball on a fast break and leaped over top of Centenary's Matt Marseille for the two-handed flush midway through the first half.
McKinney-Jones scored 19 points and grabbed nine boards in the contest, as the 'Roos went on to win the game over the Gents, 83-69.
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.
The 'Roos will be the No. 6 seed with a win and a Western Illinois victory over North Dakota State, the seventh seed with a win and a NDSU victory over WIU and the eighth seed with a loss to the Golden Eagles.
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.
ROCKMANN TAKES THE COURT
Freshman Max Rockmann has appeared in all three games, averaging 11.7 minutes per outing, since becoming eligible on Feb. 18 at IUPUI. In his debut against the Jaguars, the forward netted nine points on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting.
The Germany native missed the first 25 games of the season due to transfer regulations and NCAA rules regarding amateurism.
MUSHATT AVERAGING 16.0 OVER LAST FIVE
Sophomore LaTreze Mushatt is having a productive stretch for the 'Roos, as the forward has reached double digits in five straight and in 6-of-7 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 five-games, Mushatt is averaging a team-high 16.0 points and 7.4 rebounds, while shooting 58.5 (31-53) from the floor and 42.9 percent (3-7) from long range. Against Centenary on Feb. 25, he notched his second career double-double, finishing with 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds. It was his second double-double this season against the Gents (17 pts./10 reb. on Dec. 5).
Mushatt has provided the 'Roos with a steady scoring option this season, as he has reached double figures in 18 contests. The Michigan native is second on the team with 11.5 points per, while shooting a team-best .483 from the floor, which ranks eighth in The Summit League. He is also second on the team with 5.6 rebounds per game, and he's paced the squad on the glass in a team-best 12 contests.
MAKE IT 11 STRAIGHT FOR JC
Junior Jay Couisnard has scored in double digits in each of the last 11 contests for the 'Roos, as he extended his streak with a 22-point outing in the win over Centenary on Feb. 25. Since the streak began on Jan. 21, Couisnard is pacing the squad with a 16.9 average during the stretch, while shooting .447 (59-132) from the floor and .797 (59-74) 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 four games and 18 or more in six contests. Couisnard has also picked up his productivity on the glass, pulling down 6.1 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 single season sophomore records. The forward currently ranks fifth in rebounds (158) and field goals (127), sixth in points (322), eighth in field goal attempts (263), tied for eighth in blocks (11), ninth in steals (33) and tied for ninth in starts (26) and field goal percentage (.483). Fellow sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones, meanwhile, ranks fourth and fifth in free throws (82) and free throw attempts (112), ninth in scoring (299) and 10th in rebounding (108).
In the junior class, Jay Couisnard is fourth in free throw makes (119) and fifth in free throw attempts (168), seventh in field goal attempts (309), eighth in points (400) and tied for 10th in scoring average (14.3). Junior Spencer Johnson is also among the leaders, as his 27 starts are tied for the 10th most.
'ROOS SECURE 12TH WIN
UMKC secured its 12th victory of the season with its 83-69 win over Centenary on Feb. 25 at Municipal Auditorium. The 12 wins are a program-high during the Matt Brown era, as his first squad in 2006-07 posted 11 victories. 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, 2009-10 (one game + league tournament remaining)
11 wins (twice) - 2007-08
INCHING TOWARDS THE SUMMIT
The 'Roos have been much more competitive in Summit League play this season, as the squad has posted six wins thus far, up from three a season ago. In the team's 11 league losses, UMKC has either held or been tied for the lead in the second half in four contests, before ultimately falling. Eight of the team's league games have been decided by five points or less with the 'Roos being 4-4 in such contests.
UNDERSIZED JOHNSON CONTINUES BATTLING ON THE BOARDS
Junior Spencer Johnson finished with a season-high 11 boards in the win over IPFW on Feb. 11 to give him a double-digit rebound total in four contests on the year. Johnson has a total of 11 double-digit rebounding games in his Kangaroo career. The Illinois native is pacing the squad on the glass for the second straight year, pulling down a team-high 5.9 boards per game. Should Johnson continue to lead the squad on the glass, he will become the first player since Jimmy Keller (1997-99) to pace the team on the boards in consecutive seasons.
20 x 6
Junior Jay Couisnard notched his sixth 20-point scoring output of the season in the win over Centenary on Feb. 25. The forward made 5-of-11 shot attempts and 11-of-12 free throws in the contest. The 11 free throws were a career and UMKC season-best.
Couisnard has been UMKC's most consistent scorer, as he's reached double figures in a team-best 24 games. The forward has been the team's leading scorer in six of the last eight games and in 16 contests on the year. He has also surpassed the 15-point mark in 13 games. His career-best performance came in his return to his hometown of Houston, when he netted 24 points in the win at Houston Baptist.
On the year, Couisnard is pacing the team and ranks ninth in The Summit League with a 14.3 points per game average, while shooting .414 from the floor and .352 from long range. He also leads the team in free throw makes (119) and attempts (168).
JUST TREY-MENDOUS
Sophomore guard Trey McKinney-Jones has shot 70 percent or better from the floor in five games and 50 percent or better in 15 contests. The guard made 8-of-9 shots in the win at Centenary on Dec. 5 as the 88.9 percentage is the high mark for a 'Roo player this season. Overall, McKinney-Jones ranks 10th in the league with a .469 shooting clip.
SPENCE TALLIES THIRD DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Junior Spencer Johnson tallied his third double-double when he finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds in the 65-56 victory over IPFW on Feb. 11. The performance was the eighth double-double of his career, which is tied for the sixth most in UMKC history. The forward's first two double-doubles came at Oakland (17 pts./10 reb.) on Jan. 14 and against Western Illinois (10 pts./10 reb.) on Jan. 21.
Johnson, who has scored in double digits in 12 games, is fifth on the team with an 8.2 scoring average, while also being tied for second on the squad with 24 long balls. On the boards, Johnson is tops on the team, pulling in 5.9 caroms per game and he's led the squad on the boards in nine contests.
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/ Men's BasketballMBB Highlights vs. #1 Omaha
Thursday, March 06
MBB Highlights vs. #9 Oral Roberts
Wednesday, March 05
MBB Highlights @ St. Thomas
Saturday, March 01
Postgame Interview: Coach Menzies post-St. Thomas
Saturday, March 01