Kansas City
6-9,2-4Summit League
Oral Roberts University
9-7,6-2Summit League
McKissic Leads Roos to Big Road Win
1/24/2021 10:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Brandon McKissic scored 24 to move into 11th on the Roos' all-time scoring list in the win
TULSA, Okla. - Brandon McKissic led the way with 24 points and a big bucket to extend the Roos' lead to seven with 1:30 remaining, and Kansas City (6-9, 2-4) held on to defeat Oral Roberts (9-7, 6-2), 81-76 on Sunday evening.
"I'm proud of our guys," Head Coach Billy Donlon said. "We came here and competed for 80 minutes this weekend and I would have been heartbroken for our players and fans if we didn't get a win. Our players deserved this one."
Much like Saturday's game, the Roos controlled the pace of the game from the beginning. After battling back-and-forth for the first nine minutes, a Jacob Johnson three-pointer at the 10:36 mark in the first half gave the Roos a lead that would never be surrendered. Including Johnson's triple, Kansas City connected on six-straight shots to balloon a 12-point lead.
Oral Roberts began to chip into the Kansas City lead, cutting it eight with six seconds remaining in the half. On the ensuing possession, McKissic pulled up from the half-court logo, banking the shot in and giving the Roos an 11-point lead at the buzzer.
Kansas City's highly efficient offensive onslaught continued in the early stages of the second half, expanding its lead to as many as 16 points. Sam Martin made a few big shots down the stretch, finishing 3-of-3 from behind the arc for nine points.
The Roos held an 11-point lead with 3:44 seconds remaining, but the Golden Eagles did not go away easily. ORU used a full-court press to force a pair of Kansas City turnovers, converting on both possessions to cut the lead to five with 2:06 left on the clock.
Kansas City milked the clock on the next possession before McKissic cut into the lane, blowing by a defender and finishing with his left hand to ice the game.Â
McKissic finished with his fourth 20-plus point game of the season, and with 1,070 career points has moved into 11th-place in program history. He is just one point away from passing Tim Blackwell and moving into the program's top 10.Â
The Roos' efficient offense led the team to victory, finishing at a 65.9% shooting clip. Josiah Allick added 17 points, Zion Williams matched his season-high with 10, and Martin, Arkel Lamar and Franck Kamgain dropped nine apiece.
KC is back in the Swinney Center next Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. for a pair of games against North Dakota State on the Roo Sports Network.
