Hardnett's Three-Pointer Lifts Kansas City MBB to 78-75 Victory

Sunday, December 22

Vermillion, S.D.

3:30 PM

Kansas City

7-7,0-0WAC

South Dakota

9-5,0-0Summit League

Kansas City

South Dakota

Hardnett's Three-Pointer Lifts Kansas City MBB to 78-75 Victory

12/22/2019 5:31:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score

VERMILLION, S.D. -- Senior guard Jahshire Hardnett made his only field goal count. His only points, coming on a three-pointer with two seconds remaining, was the game-winner and Kansas City Men's Basketball (7-7) defeated host South Dakota (9-5), 78-75, this afternoon in the final non-conference game for the Roos. Sitting out the previous two games with a foot injury, the 5-foot-11 BYU transfer raised up over a much taller defender in 6-10 Tyler Hagedorn and swished home a 25-footer from the top of the key and sent the Roos into the 2020 calendar year on a two-game win streak. It was a fitting play for Hardnett, who celebrated his birthday on Sunday.

The Roos utilized a great inside game with 42 points in-the-paint and shot 63.3 percent, the best in more than eight years, to post the win against a future conference opponent next year in the Summit League.

Senior Jordan Giles poured in a career-high 25 points on 10-of-11 shooting today. He added a team-high five rebounds. Junior Brandon McKissic netted 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting. Behind a trio of three-pointer's, senior Rob Whitfield chipped in 15 points.

"I'm really proud of our guys with the way we have responded since Kansas (losing to the 2nd-ranked Jayhawks on Dec. 14)," said head coach Billy Donlon. "Tonight we did some really good things offensively. I'm happy that Jahshire made the game-winner on his birthday and Giles was outstanding. Our mentality of daily improvement is paying off."

The victory was the first for the Roos on the road this year as they dropped their previous six road contests. Also, the seven wins prior to the new year is the most for a Roos' program prior to Jan. 1 since the 2016-17 program also won seven.

Kansas City seemingly put the game away at the start of the second half. The Roos expanded a 42-35 halftime lead into a 53-35 advantage at the 14:52 mark. A lay-up by freshman Josiah Allick put the finishing touches on a 11-0 run by the Roos out of the locker room. Part of the success during that stretch was in the Kansas City defense. In a four-possession sequence, the Coyotes turned the ball over three times.

However, a South Dakota team picked second in the preseason Summit League poll turned to Hagedorn late in the second half. At one point, Hagedorn scored 13-straight points as the Coyotes actually came all the way back to tie the game at 75-75 . A Ty Chisom jump shot with six seconds remaining set the stage for the Hardnett heroics.

Kansas City led 80 percent of the game and had seven blocks overall.

For South Dakota, Hagedorn tallied a game-high 29 points and grabbed nine boards. Cody Kelley added 15 points for the Coyotes. Summit League Preseason Player of the Year Stanley Umude was held to just four points.

The Roos will host their Western Athletic Conference (WAC) opener on Thursday, Jan. 2 against Seattle U at 7 p.m. from the Swinney Center.

Quick Hitters

The win pushed Kansas City to a 5-4 advantage in the overall series with South Dakota.
South Dakota entered the game receiving votes in the latest CollegeInsider.com Top 25 Mid-Major Poll. The Coyotes held a No. 138 position in the KenPom rankings.
With nine points and four rebounds today, Marvin Nesbitt Jr., had his streak of five-straight 10-plus point games stopped.
Kansas City improved to 6-0 on the year when it shoots for a higher field-goal percentage than the opponent. Today, the Roos shot 63 percent compared to 49 percent by South Dakota.
The 63.3 field goal shooting clip was the highest for the Roos since the team shot 64.2 percent against Longwood (Fla.) on Nov. 26, 2011.