Kansas City
10-10,6-5Summit League
Denver
2-16,1-10Summit League
Nesbitt Jr. Drops Career-High as Roos Beat Denver
2/19/2021 10:13:00 PM | Men's Basketball
In his first appearance in seven games, Marvin Nesbitt Jr. scored 20 points and led the Roos to victory
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - In the return of Marvin Nesbitt Jr., the Kansas City Roos (10-10, 6-5) came out on top, 68-57, against the Denver Pioneers (2-16, 1-10) thanks to a career-high 20-point performance from Nesbitt Jr.
Foul trouble hurt the Roos early, forcing Head Coach Billy Donlon to rely on the senior leader in his first game back from injury. Nesbitt Jr. checked into the game at the 17:32 mark, and went to work right away. He scored 18 of his 20 points in the first half, carrying the Roos to a 29-29 tie at half.
"I thought we were sleepy out there to start," Nesbitt Jr. said. "I knew, being a senior leader for this team, that I had to step up in that situation, pick up the energy and make the effort plays."
This was just the ninth game that Nesbitt Jr. appeared in this year, due to concussion protocol. He was an impact player in the eight games he had appeared in, averaging 10.8 points and seven rebounds per game. He made up for lost time, shooting 7-of-10 from the field, pulling down five rebounds and adding an assist, a block and a steal.
"I knew that I had put in the work," he said. "Coach told me to trust my work, so I was confident going in."
Nesbitt Jr.'s performance impressed his teammates as well, who were excited to see him back on the court.Â
"Marvin Nesbitt is a man amongst men," Brandon McKissic said. "He is a different breed. The man is a menace. He's back."
After sitting for the majority of the first half with two fouls, McKissic immediately made an impact in the second half. He strung together a 6-0 run by himself in the first 1:35, putting the Roos up 35-29. Kansas City extended the lead to 14 with 9:15 remaining and made key stops down the stretch to claim the victory.
The Roos also received big help from Zion Williams, who provided the first double-double of his career. Williams scored 11 points and also snatched a career-high 11 rebounds, commanding the glass from the point guard position.Â
"I've just been staying aggressive at all times and making sure I clean up the glass for my teammates," Williams said. "Our defense has gotten to the point where it makes teams miss more, so that creates more opportunities for me to get rebounds."
The Roos defense forced the Pioneers into 22 turnovers, creating 20 points off of those opportunities. Kansas City has held its last four opponents under 60 points, creating a season-long four game winning streak.
"I think we're on our way to playing our best basketball at the end of the year," Williams said. "We are constantly trying to get better every game, so when other teams plateau we keep going up."
McKissic ended the day with 16 points, his eighth-straight game above 15. Josiah Allick contributed 13, making key buckets down the stretch to extend Kansas City's lead. Franck Kamgain facilitated the offense, dishing out six assists in the win.
The Roos and Pioneers face off again tomorrow night at 7 p.m. on the Roo Sports Network. Following the game, Kansas City will honor its four seniors, McKissic, Nesbitt Jr., Williams and Arkel Lamar.
