Kansas City
0-3,0-0Summit League
Illinois
2-0,0-0Big Ten
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City | 23 | 25 | 48 |
| Illinois | 39 | 47 | 86 |
Roos Drop Contest to Nationally-Ranked Illini
11/11/2022 11:09:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Shemarri Allen scored a career-high 20 points, accounting for over 40% of the team's scoring
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Playing its third game in five days to open the 2022-23 season, Kansas City ran into a defensive-minded team in No. 23 Illinois and dropped an 86-48 decision Friday night at the State Farm Center. The loss dropped the Roos to 0-3 on the young season, while Illinois improved to 2-0.
On a night when Illinois raised a banner for the 2021-22 Big 10 champions, Kansas City limited the home team to 1-for-18 shooting in the first eight minutes and held a slim 9-8 lead. But the home team's pressing defense and size advantage inside took control of the game. Five Roos turnovers in a three-minute stretch allowed Illinois to rattle off 10-straight points on the way to a 39-23 halftime lead.
Shemarri Allen followed up his 19-point effort against LSU on Wednesday with a team-high 20 points and eight rebounds against the Illini. Jeff Ngandu had eight points on four-for-seven shooting with a team-high 10 rebounds
Dain Dainja led the Illini with 20 points and 14 rebounds in just 23 minutes of action. Texas Tech transfer Terrence Shannon added 14 points, five assists and four rebounds.
KEY MOMENTS
- 1H / 5-3 | In the first four possessions of the game, the Roos had three turnovers and two missed shots and fell behind 3-0. But a free throw from Shemarri Allen and two jumpers from Jeff Ngandu gave the visitors the lead.
1H | @JeffNgandu has a pair of buckets early and we've got a lead going into the first media timeout. pic.twitter.com/r7OzKUortt
— Kansas City Men's Basketball (@KCRoosMBB) November 12, 2022
- 1H / 9-8 | The Roos maintained a lead despite a scoring drought of 2:32 at the second media timeout. Illinois, meanwhile, missed 13 straight shots from the field before a put-back and free throw from Dain Dainja brought the home team within a point.
- 1H / 13-16 | Illinois scored seven straight points to take a 5-point lead before the Roos called a timeout. RayQuawndis Mitchell made two free throws to end the Illini run.
- HALF / 23-39 | Illinois finished the half on a 11-5 run to head into the locker room with a 16-point lead. Allen led the Roos with 10 points and five rebounds, while Dainja had 8 points and 12 rebounds for Illinois.
- 2H / 34-61 | Kansas City opened the second half making five of its first nine shots from the field, but six turnovers during a 3:09 stretch allowed Illinois to extend the lead to 27 points.
STATS TO NOTE
- Kansas City held Illinois to 1-for-10 shooting from the field before the first TV timeout at the 15:16 mark of the half. The Roos were 2-for-5 and held a 5-3 lead.
- The two teams combined to miss 18 straight shots from the field at one stretch of the first half. At the second media timeout, the teams combined to shoot 6-for-31 (19.4%).
- Kansas City had 10 turnovers in the first 15 minutes and Illinois capitalized by scoring 10 points off the miscues.
- The Illini bench outscored Kansas City 18-0 in the first half.
- Allen Mukeba hit the first 3-point FG of the game for the Roos with 15:50 left in the second half. Kansas City had missed its first 10 long range jumpers up to that point.
- Emmanouil Dimou scored his first points as a Roo with a three-pointer at the 8:07 mark of the second half. It was also the first bench points for Kansas City.
COACH MARVIN MENZIES, QUOTED
UP NEXT
Kansas City returns home to face Calvary Bible on Monday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. in the Swinney Center.
