Kansas City
4-5,0-0Summit League
Saint Louis University
7-1,0-0Atlantic 10
Roos Fall to Saint Louis in Defensive Battle
12/23/2020 9:41:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Brandon McKissic scored 18 points, Josiah Allick posted 13 points and nine boards in the loss
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Brandon McKissic dropped 18 points, five rebounds and five assists in his return to St. Louis, but it was not enough for the Roos (4-5) to overcome the Billikens (7-1) in a defensive fight, falling 62-46.
"We did some good things defensively in the half court, but gave up too many turnovers for touchdowns," Head Coach Billy Donlon said. "We will continue to work and prepare for the Summit."
The Roos came out ready for battle, finding Josiah Allick early and often inside. Allick scored four of the Roos' first seven points, giving KC a 7-3 lead in the first three minutes. The sophomore from Lincoln, Neb. was a consistent presence for the Roos throughout the game, scoring 13 points and pulling down nine boards.
Kansas City grabbed its largest lead of the game with 10:35 remaining in the first half, converting a Saint Louis turnover into a McKissic layup to pull ahead 13-7. The Roos found success creating Billiken turnovers early in the game, forcing six in the first ten minutes. SLU shored up their offensive game afterwards, committing only five more throughout the final 30 minutes of play.
The Roos maintained their lead for the majority of the first half, leading until the two minute mark. An 11-3 Saint Louis run over the final four minutes of the half put the Billikens in front going into the half, 28-26.
An Allick hook shot in the paint early in the second half tied the game up at 30-30, but a Jordan Goodwin layup 15 seconds later sparked a 14-2 Saint Louis run.
The Billikens' lead fluctuated between eight and 13 points until the under-four media timeout, but the Roos could not put together enough offense to even things up. Kansas City finished the game 19-of-48 from the field for a season-low 30.6% clip.
The Roos are off for the holidays and will open Summit League play in North Dakota against the Fighting Hawks on Jan. 2 and 3.
