
'Roos Close Out Road Trip Against Jackrabbits On Saturday Night
2/5/2010 2:31:00 PM | Men's Basketball
THE SETTING
Fresh off a 58-56 victory in Fargo, the UMKC men's basketball team will look to make it two straight when it travels to Brookings, S.D., to square off against South Dakota State on Saturday night. The game between the 'Roos and Jackrabbits will be held at Frost Arena beginning at 7:30 p.m. SDSU is in fourth place in The Summit League with an 8-4 record, while UMKC enters the game in seventh with a 4-7 mark.
ON THE AIR
Radio: 810 AM WHB (Steven Davis - p-b-p)
Television: None
Web: Roo Vision (UMKCKangaroos.com)
Live Stats: UMKCKangaroos.com
LAST TIME OUT
UMKC gutted out a 58-56 road victory at North Dakota State on Thursday night in Fargo. Sophomore LaTreze Mushatt scored 10 straight for the 'Roos over an eight minute stretch late in the second half, which included the go-ahead bucket with 1:18 to play. Mushatt finished the game with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting. UMKC was led by junior Jay Couisnard, who tallied his first career double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
THE COACHES
Head Coach Matt Brown is in his third season with the UMKC men's basketball program, where he has compiled an 28-57 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 Nagy is in his 15th season as the head coach of the South Dakota State men's basketball program, where he has compiled a 268-173 overall record. Nagy, who is the winningest coach in SDSU history, guided the Jacks through the transition from NCAA Division II to Division I.
UMKC-SDSU - FIRST MEETING - JAN. 7, 2010
The Kangaroos came up on the short end of a 74-69 decision when they hosted South Dakota State on Jan. 7 at Municipal Auditorium. The Jackrabbits used a strong second half to pull out the road victory, as they shot 60.9 percent over the final 20 minutes to go along with making 15-of-16 attempts from the charity stripe. Trey McKinney-Jones led a group of four 'Roo players in double digits, finishing with 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Kai Williams paced SDSU, as the forward finished with game-highs of 19 points and eight rebounds.
SCOUTING SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
The Jackrabbits enter Saturday's match-up with a 12-11 overall and an 8-4 Summit League record, which puts them in fourth place in the league standings. On Thursday night, SDSU used a big second half en route to a 84-60 rout of Southern Utah at Frost Arena. Four Jacks reached double digits with Garrett Callahan pacing the way with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting.
Guard Clint Sargent leads a group of three SDSU players in double digits with 12.1 points. Sargent shoots 44 percent from the floor and 46.5 percent from long range. Callahan is second on the team with a 12.0 average and forward Kai Williams averages 10.4 points and a team-best 6.1 rebounds. Freshman guard Nate Wolters (9.9) and forward Anthony Cordova (9.0) also chip in more than nine a game and Wolters paces the squad with 67 assists.
South Dakota State shoots .429 from the floor, .388 from long range and .737 from the charity stripe en route to 74.0 points per game. The Jacks are also +1.4 on the glass on the year.
SDSU GAME NOTES
• South Dakota State has won seven of its last 10 games. From Dec. 31 to Jan. 9, the Jacks won four straight, one of which was a 74-69 win over UMKC in Kansas City.
• The Jackrabbits are 7-3 at Frost Arena this season and 4-1 at the venue in league play. SDSU's home losses came against Denver (83-80), Cal Poly (73-66) and to league-leading Oakland (85-82).
• SDSU has the second best scoring offense (74.0), but the second worst scoring defense (72.8). The Jacks also have the second best three-point field goal percentage (.388) and the second most three-point field goals (163) on the year. Senior Clint Sargent's .465 three-point shooting clip leads the league individually.
THE SERIES
Saturday's meeting will be the ninth meeting between UMKC and South Dakota State with the series being even at four all. The Jackrabbits have won the last two meetings in the series, winning 76-66 in Brookings last season and 74-69 in Kansas City on Jan. 7.
'ROO TIDBITS
• Jay Couisnard has played 192-of-200 possible minutes over the past five games. This includes playing all 40 minutes against WIU and at NDSU. The forward is averaging 17.4 points during the five-game stretch, while shooting 48.4 percent from the floor and .792 (19-24) from the free throw stripe.
• Freshman Alex Bazzell made a career-best three long balls en route to nine points at Southern Utah. He followed it up with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting at NDSU.
• Sophomore LaTreze Mushatt reached double digits for the first time in four games, finishing with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting. The forward scored 10 straight 'Roo points over an eight minute stretch late in the second half, which included the go-ahead bucket with 1:18 left.
• Sophomore Dustin Dibble is unavailable, as he did not make the road trip to the Dakotas after suffering a concussion during Tuesday's practice.
• Junior Bakari Lewis has four or more assists in six of the last nine games to give him a team-high 59 assists on the year. In league games, Lewis is fourth with 42 assists (3.8 p/game) and he's leading all players with a 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• UMKC limited Western Illinois to a .373 field goal percentage on Jan. 21. The mark was the lowest shooting percentage for a Division I opponent this season.
• Sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones is sixth in The Summit League in field goal percentage at .503 (84-167). He is one of just three guards among the top-10 in the category.
• UMKC committed just nine turnovers in the road loss at Southern Utah on Jan. 30. It was the fifth game this season that the squad has finished with 10 or fewer turnovers.
• The X factor? UMKC is 7-3 this season when junior Spencer Johnson reaches double figures.
• UMKC is leading the league in turnover margin (+2.2). The squad is also fourth in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.9), fifth in steals (6.3) and fifth in assists (12.0) per game.
• Junior Spencer Johnson has moved into the top-15 in UMKC history in career rebounding, ranking 11th with 381 caroms. He also ranks 27th in the record books in career scoring with 576
points.
• Freshman Kirk Korver has made two or more three pointers in seven games on the season.
• Foul trouble has been consistently plaguing junior Jay Couisnard, as the forward has had four or more fouls in 13 games with five disqualifications.
• The 'Roos are 7-1 on the year when attempting more free throws than its opposition with its lone loss coming at IPFW on Jan. 16.
• In wins, UMKC is averaging 72.7 points on .455 shooting from the floor and .358 from long range in victories. The squad has also shot 60 more free throws than its opponent. The opposition, meanwhile, shoots .432 from the field, .356 from distance and averages 17.5 turnovers per game.
• In losses, the 'Roos average 61.1 points with a .412 field goal percentage and a .340 mark from three-point land. The opposition, meanwhile, shoots .495 from the floor, .347 from long range and has attempted 114 more free throws than UMKC.
• The 'Roos are shooting .448 from the floor and .363 from long range at home and .416 from the field and .335 from long range on the road.
• In five games at Municipal, UMKC is shooting .407 from the floor, .350 from long range and .707 from the charity stripe. In contrast, the opposition is shooting .435 from the field, .321 from three-point land and .725 from the free throw stripe.
• Junior Spencer Johnson has made 45 consecutive starts and has started 52 of the last 53 contests.
• UMKC's reserves average 18.3 points per game.
'ROOS REACH DOUBLE DIGITS; TOP 08-09 LEAGUE WIN TOTAL
UMKC reached double digits (10) in victories with its 58-56 win at North Dakota State on Feb. 4. The win was also the squad's fourth league victory which tops last season's final win total. The 'Roos have already surpassed the 2008-09 overall win (7) and road win totals (3).
OH SO CLOSE
During the current streak where the 'Roos have dropped six-of-eight games, five of the games have been decided by five points or less.
J.C. JOINS D-D CLUB
Junior Jay Couisnard recorded his first career double-double at North Dakota State, finishing with 18 points and 13 rebounds. The 13 caroms were a career-high for the Houston, Texas, native. Couisnard is the third 'Roo player to record a double-double this season along with Spencer Johnson and LaTreze Mushatt.
UNDERSIZED JOHNSON CONTINUES BATTLING ON THE BOARDS
Junior Spencer Johnson grabbed 10 boards in the road win at North Dakota State on Feb. 4. The performance was his third double digit rebound game this season and the 10th of his UMKC 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.
FRESHMEN DUO PLUGGING ALONG
You would be hard pressed to not find freshmen Kirk Korver and Alex Bazzell together off the court, and the duo have been doing their parts on the court as well over the past three contests. The two players have combined to average 14.3 points to give the 'Roos solid point production off the bench.
MUSHATT BREAKS OUT OF MINI-SLUMP
Sophomore LaTreze Mushatt broke out of his mini-slump, by finishing with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting in the road win at North Dakota State. The performance was the forward's first game in double digits in four games and it came on the heels of him playing just five minutes at Southern Utah.
On the year, Mushatt has provided the 'Roos with a steady scoring option this season, as he has reached double figures in 13 contests on the year. 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 averaging 10.6 points, while shooting .465 from the floor. He is also second on the team with 5.2 rebounds per game, while also dishing out 41 assists, which are the third most on the team.
KNOCKIN' 'EM DOWN FROM LONG RANGE
UMKC took a break from launching up the three-pointers, making just four triples in 11 attempts, its fewest in six games. The squad, however, has been taking and making more long balls over the past seven contests. The 'Roos have made a total of 53 three-pointers or 7.6 per game. At Oakland on Jan. 14, the 'Roos made 10 long balls, which were the most for the squad in more than a calendar year, as it hadn't made 10 three pointers since Dec. 31, 2008, at IUPUI.
The 'Roos have made eight or more long balls in four-of-the-last-seven games to give them a total of seven games with eight or more treys this season. The squad is 4-3 in such contests.
COOZY NOTCHES THIRD 20-POINT GAME
Junior Jay Couisnard notched his third 20-point game of the season when he finished with 22 points on 10-of-16 shooting in the tight one point loss to IUPUI on Jan. 23. The 10 field goals were a career-best for the junior and a team-high for the 'Roos this season.
Couisnard has been UMKC's most consistent scorer, as he's reached double figures in a team-best 18 games. The forward has been the team's leading scorer in 12 games and he's surpassed the 15-point mark in nine contests. 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 12th in The Summit League with a 13.7 points per game average, while shooting .415 from the floor and .367 from long range. He also leads the team in free throw makes (79) and attempts (118).
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 13 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 sixth in the league with a .503 shooting clip, and he has the highest field goal percentage among guards in the league.
JOHNSON RECORDS SECOND DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Junior Spencer Johnson tallied his second double-double when he finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Western Illinois Jan. 21. The performance was Johnson's second double-double of the season and the seventh of his career.
The forward's first double-double came at Oakland on Jan. 14, when he finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds. In the contest, he connected on 4-of-6 three-point attempts.
Johnson, who has scored in double digits in 10 games, is fourth on the team with an 8.6 scoring average, while shooting .415 from the floor and .361 from long range. The forward is also tied for the team lead with 22 long balls on the year. 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 eight contests.
Fresh off a 58-56 victory in Fargo, the UMKC men's basketball team will look to make it two straight when it travels to Brookings, S.D., to square off against South Dakota State on Saturday night. The game between the 'Roos and Jackrabbits will be held at Frost Arena beginning at 7:30 p.m. SDSU is in fourth place in The Summit League with an 8-4 record, while UMKC enters the game in seventh with a 4-7 mark.
ON THE AIR
Radio: 810 AM WHB (Steven Davis - p-b-p)
Television: None
Web: Roo Vision (UMKCKangaroos.com)
Live Stats: UMKCKangaroos.com
LAST TIME OUT
UMKC gutted out a 58-56 road victory at North Dakota State on Thursday night in Fargo. Sophomore LaTreze Mushatt scored 10 straight for the 'Roos over an eight minute stretch late in the second half, which included the go-ahead bucket with 1:18 to play. Mushatt finished the game with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting. UMKC was led by junior Jay Couisnard, who tallied his first career double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
THE COACHES
Head Coach Matt Brown is in his third season with the UMKC men's basketball program, where he has compiled an 28-57 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 Nagy is in his 15th season as the head coach of the South Dakota State men's basketball program, where he has compiled a 268-173 overall record. Nagy, who is the winningest coach in SDSU history, guided the Jacks through the transition from NCAA Division II to Division I.
UMKC-SDSU - FIRST MEETING - JAN. 7, 2010
The Kangaroos came up on the short end of a 74-69 decision when they hosted South Dakota State on Jan. 7 at Municipal Auditorium. The Jackrabbits used a strong second half to pull out the road victory, as they shot 60.9 percent over the final 20 minutes to go along with making 15-of-16 attempts from the charity stripe. Trey McKinney-Jones led a group of four 'Roo players in double digits, finishing with 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Kai Williams paced SDSU, as the forward finished with game-highs of 19 points and eight rebounds.
SCOUTING SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
The Jackrabbits enter Saturday's match-up with a 12-11 overall and an 8-4 Summit League record, which puts them in fourth place in the league standings. On Thursday night, SDSU used a big second half en route to a 84-60 rout of Southern Utah at Frost Arena. Four Jacks reached double digits with Garrett Callahan pacing the way with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting.
Guard Clint Sargent leads a group of three SDSU players in double digits with 12.1 points. Sargent shoots 44 percent from the floor and 46.5 percent from long range. Callahan is second on the team with a 12.0 average and forward Kai Williams averages 10.4 points and a team-best 6.1 rebounds. Freshman guard Nate Wolters (9.9) and forward Anthony Cordova (9.0) also chip in more than nine a game and Wolters paces the squad with 67 assists.
South Dakota State shoots .429 from the floor, .388 from long range and .737 from the charity stripe en route to 74.0 points per game. The Jacks are also +1.4 on the glass on the year.
SDSU GAME NOTES
• South Dakota State has won seven of its last 10 games. From Dec. 31 to Jan. 9, the Jacks won four straight, one of which was a 74-69 win over UMKC in Kansas City.
• The Jackrabbits are 7-3 at Frost Arena this season and 4-1 at the venue in league play. SDSU's home losses came against Denver (83-80), Cal Poly (73-66) and to league-leading Oakland (85-82).
• SDSU has the second best scoring offense (74.0), but the second worst scoring defense (72.8). The Jacks also have the second best three-point field goal percentage (.388) and the second most three-point field goals (163) on the year. Senior Clint Sargent's .465 three-point shooting clip leads the league individually.
THE SERIES
Saturday's meeting will be the ninth meeting between UMKC and South Dakota State with the series being even at four all. The Jackrabbits have won the last two meetings in the series, winning 76-66 in Brookings last season and 74-69 in Kansas City on Jan. 7.
'ROO TIDBITS
• Jay Couisnard has played 192-of-200 possible minutes over the past five games. This includes playing all 40 minutes against WIU and at NDSU. The forward is averaging 17.4 points during the five-game stretch, while shooting 48.4 percent from the floor and .792 (19-24) from the free throw stripe.
• Freshman Alex Bazzell made a career-best three long balls en route to nine points at Southern Utah. He followed it up with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting at NDSU.
• Sophomore LaTreze Mushatt reached double digits for the first time in four games, finishing with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting. The forward scored 10 straight 'Roo points over an eight minute stretch late in the second half, which included the go-ahead bucket with 1:18 left.
• Sophomore Dustin Dibble is unavailable, as he did not make the road trip to the Dakotas after suffering a concussion during Tuesday's practice.
• Junior Bakari Lewis has four or more assists in six of the last nine games to give him a team-high 59 assists on the year. In league games, Lewis is fourth with 42 assists (3.8 p/game) and he's leading all players with a 2.6 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• UMKC limited Western Illinois to a .373 field goal percentage on Jan. 21. The mark was the lowest shooting percentage for a Division I opponent this season.
• Sophomore Trey McKinney-Jones is sixth in The Summit League in field goal percentage at .503 (84-167). He is one of just three guards among the top-10 in the category.
• UMKC committed just nine turnovers in the road loss at Southern Utah on Jan. 30. It was the fifth game this season that the squad has finished with 10 or fewer turnovers.
• The X factor? UMKC is 7-3 this season when junior Spencer Johnson reaches double figures.
• UMKC is leading the league in turnover margin (+2.2). The squad is also fourth in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.9), fifth in steals (6.3) and fifth in assists (12.0) per game.
• Junior Spencer Johnson has moved into the top-15 in UMKC history in career rebounding, ranking 11th with 381 caroms. He also ranks 27th in the record books in career scoring with 576
points.
• Freshman Kirk Korver has made two or more three pointers in seven games on the season.
• Foul trouble has been consistently plaguing junior Jay Couisnard, as the forward has had four or more fouls in 13 games with five disqualifications.
• The 'Roos are 7-1 on the year when attempting more free throws than its opposition with its lone loss coming at IPFW on Jan. 16.
• In wins, UMKC is averaging 72.7 points on .455 shooting from the floor and .358 from long range in victories. The squad has also shot 60 more free throws than its opponent. The opposition, meanwhile, shoots .432 from the field, .356 from distance and averages 17.5 turnovers per game.
• In losses, the 'Roos average 61.1 points with a .412 field goal percentage and a .340 mark from three-point land. The opposition, meanwhile, shoots .495 from the floor, .347 from long range and has attempted 114 more free throws than UMKC.
• The 'Roos are shooting .448 from the floor and .363 from long range at home and .416 from the field and .335 from long range on the road.
• In five games at Municipal, UMKC is shooting .407 from the floor, .350 from long range and .707 from the charity stripe. In contrast, the opposition is shooting .435 from the field, .321 from three-point land and .725 from the free throw stripe.
• Junior Spencer Johnson has made 45 consecutive starts and has started 52 of the last 53 contests.
• UMKC's reserves average 18.3 points per game.
'ROOS REACH DOUBLE DIGITS; TOP 08-09 LEAGUE WIN TOTAL
UMKC reached double digits (10) in victories with its 58-56 win at North Dakota State on Feb. 4. The win was also the squad's fourth league victory which tops last season's final win total. The 'Roos have already surpassed the 2008-09 overall win (7) and road win totals (3).
OH SO CLOSE
During the current streak where the 'Roos have dropped six-of-eight games, five of the games have been decided by five points or less.
J.C. JOINS D-D CLUB
Junior Jay Couisnard recorded his first career double-double at North Dakota State, finishing with 18 points and 13 rebounds. The 13 caroms were a career-high for the Houston, Texas, native. Couisnard is the third 'Roo player to record a double-double this season along with Spencer Johnson and LaTreze Mushatt.
UNDERSIZED JOHNSON CONTINUES BATTLING ON THE BOARDS
Junior Spencer Johnson grabbed 10 boards in the road win at North Dakota State on Feb. 4. The performance was his third double digit rebound game this season and the 10th of his UMKC 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.
FRESHMEN DUO PLUGGING ALONG
You would be hard pressed to not find freshmen Kirk Korver and Alex Bazzell together off the court, and the duo have been doing their parts on the court as well over the past three contests. The two players have combined to average 14.3 points to give the 'Roos solid point production off the bench.
MUSHATT BREAKS OUT OF MINI-SLUMP
Sophomore LaTreze Mushatt broke out of his mini-slump, by finishing with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting in the road win at North Dakota State. The performance was the forward's first game in double digits in four games and it came on the heels of him playing just five minutes at Southern Utah.
On the year, Mushatt has provided the 'Roos with a steady scoring option this season, as he has reached double figures in 13 contests on the year. 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 averaging 10.6 points, while shooting .465 from the floor. He is also second on the team with 5.2 rebounds per game, while also dishing out 41 assists, which are the third most on the team.
KNOCKIN' 'EM DOWN FROM LONG RANGE
UMKC took a break from launching up the three-pointers, making just four triples in 11 attempts, its fewest in six games. The squad, however, has been taking and making more long balls over the past seven contests. The 'Roos have made a total of 53 three-pointers or 7.6 per game. At Oakland on Jan. 14, the 'Roos made 10 long balls, which were the most for the squad in more than a calendar year, as it hadn't made 10 three pointers since Dec. 31, 2008, at IUPUI.
The 'Roos have made eight or more long balls in four-of-the-last-seven games to give them a total of seven games with eight or more treys this season. The squad is 4-3 in such contests.
COOZY NOTCHES THIRD 20-POINT GAME
Junior Jay Couisnard notched his third 20-point game of the season when he finished with 22 points on 10-of-16 shooting in the tight one point loss to IUPUI on Jan. 23. The 10 field goals were a career-best for the junior and a team-high for the 'Roos this season.
Couisnard has been UMKC's most consistent scorer, as he's reached double figures in a team-best 18 games. The forward has been the team's leading scorer in 12 games and he's surpassed the 15-point mark in nine contests. 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 12th in The Summit League with a 13.7 points per game average, while shooting .415 from the floor and .367 from long range. He also leads the team in free throw makes (79) and attempts (118).
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 13 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 sixth in the league with a .503 shooting clip, and he has the highest field goal percentage among guards in the league.
JOHNSON RECORDS SECOND DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Junior Spencer Johnson tallied his second double-double when he finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Western Illinois Jan. 21. The performance was Johnson's second double-double of the season and the seventh of his career.
The forward's first double-double came at Oakland on Jan. 14, when he finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds. In the contest, he connected on 4-of-6 three-point attempts.
Johnson, who has scored in double digits in 10 games, is fourth on the team with an 8.6 scoring average, while shooting .415 from the floor and .361 from long range. The forward is also tied for the team lead with 22 long balls on the year. 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 eight contests.
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