Kansas City
Samford
Kangaroos Fall to Hot-Shooting Samford, 64-55
11/23/2014 7:35:00 PM | Men's Basketball
(Little Rock, Ark.) - The UMKC men's basketball team ran into a team that couldn't miss on Sunday in Little Rock at the EA Sports Maui Invitational, dropping a 64-55 decision to Samford. The Bulldogs shot 60 percent from three in the game, and 53 percent overall to take the win.
The opening five minutes of the game was as bad as it gets for the 'Roos (2-3), as the Bulldogs (2-3) leaped out to an 11-0 lead, and led 16-5 at the first media timeout. They stretched their lead to as many as 14 by the 12:19 mark, and after that it was just about even basketball.
“We weren't attentive enough to their shooters, and they got confidence early,” Head Coach Kareem Richardson said. “It kind of snowballed from there. When your opponent shoots 64 percent, it's going to be a long night.”
The Bulldogs shot a blistering 64 percent in the half, both from the field and from three. They hit 7-of-11 three-point attempts, several of which were open. Not only did they shoot better, Samford also dominated the glass, taking a 21-11 advantage there. The only thing that kept the 'Roos in the contest was the turnover margin, as UMKC forced the Bulldogs into 15 in the half, while committing seven.
At the half it was a 39-28 lead for the Bulldogs. UMKC was paced by eight points from Reese Holliday, and seven from Martez Harrison. Samford was led by Nnamdi Enechionyia, who lit it up with 17 in the half, hitting four threes.
The second half saw UMKC come out with some energy, cutting the lead to five after just two minutes of action. The Bulldogs wouldn't let it get any closer though, and moved the lead back to 11 with 9:54 on the clock, and up to as many as 13 with just over three minutes left.
Missouri-Kansas City couldn't string points together, even though the defense was much better in the second period. It pulled down 20 offensive rebounds, but Samford blocked 11 shots in the game, keeping the 'Roos from taking advantage inside.
The 'Roos couldn't buy a bucket, shooting only 33 percent in the game, and only 46 percent from the foul line. They also shot only 24 percent from the three-point line, several of which were open attempts.
Harrison led the 'Roos with 17 points on the night, while Shayok Shayok had nine points and a team-high nine boards. Enechionyia led the Bulldogs with a career-high 22 points, as three SU players set career-bests in points on the night.
UMKC will continue the road trip when it heads to Youngstown State on Wednesday night for a 6 p.m. CT tipoff.
