Kansas City
6-10,2-1Summit League
Omaha
5-10,1-2Summit League
Roos Close out 2022 with Big Win over Mavs
12/31/2022 4:08:00 PM | Men's Basketball
RayQuawndis Mitchell scored 27 and the Roos shot at their highest field goal percentage of the year in the win
OMAHA, Neb. - RayQuawndis Mitchell exploded for 27 points, dropping six three-pointers, as Kansas City Men's Basketball (6-10, 2-1 Summit) ran past Omaha (5-10, 1-2 Summit) to close out the 2022 calendar year. Shemarri Allen added 17 points and Allen David Mukeba Jr. dropped 11 to help aid the Roos' scoring efforts.
Following Thursday's triple-overtime battle in Denver, the Roos showed no signs of fatigue this afternoon. It was a close game deep into the second half, as Kansas City held a four-point edge with just over five minutes remaining in regulation. Then, Allen took over, scoring six-straight points and KC ran away with the game in the final minutes.
The Roos shot at a 58.7% clip on the game, including 8-of-19 three-point shooting, the team's third-best three-point shooting percentage on the season and best in 10 games. Mitchell's six three-point makes tied a career-high, previously reached in the Roos' Dec. 3 win over Lindenwood.
KEY MOMENTSÂ
- 1H - 17:21 / 6-3 | A pair of baskets by Mukeba got the Roos going, then Tyler Andrews put on a spin cycle and finished near the rim to give KC an early lead.
- 1H - 11:00 / 13-6 | After a three-plus minute scoring drought, Jevin Sullivan got the Roos scoring with a second chance bucket. On the next trip down the court, Babacar Diallo dished to Mitchell in the corner, who nailed the Roos' first three of the game and extended the lead to seven.
- 1H - 5:28 / 21-19 | Omaha went on an eight-point run across a two-minute span to take the lead, but Mitchell was there for the response, hitting another three on the assist by Allen.Â
- 2H - 17:36 / 33-31 | The Mavericks opened the second half on a four-point run to take the lead, a dunk by Jeff Ngandu brought the Roos within a point. On the next Omaha possession, Mukeba got a steal, drove the other way and threw down an and-one dunk to reclaim the lead.
2H | Trying to run with @h23_jr is a bad idea ?? pic.twitter.com/BfpknUSztB
— Kansas City Men's Basketball (@KCRoosMBB) December 31, 2022
- 2H - 13:46 / 44-38 | Kansas City hit on back-to-back three-pointers, first by Mitchell, then on a shot clock buzzer-beater by Diallo that put the Roos ahead by six.
- 2H - 7:47 / 58-51 | The Mavericks drew within a point, but Kansas City scored the next six using an and-one three-pointer by Mitchell and a strong drive to the bucket by Sullivan.
- 2H - 0:41 / 75-59 | The Roos ended the game on a 17-4 run over the game's final five minutes, beginning with six-straight points from Allen, and ending with a wide open three by Mitchell to finish the game with 27 and send KC into the new year with a road win under its belt.
2H | You decided to jump and now you've found yourself on a @JeffNgandu poster ?? pic.twitter.com/JjKex5S2Uf
— Kansas City Men's Basketball (@KCRoosMBB) December 31, 2022
STATS TO NOTE
- Kansas City's 58.7% shooting clip marked a season-high, and was the best by a Roo team against Division One competition since the 2020-21 squad shot at a 65.9% clip in an 81-76 win over Oral Roberts on Jan. 24, 2021.
- To start Summit League play, the Roos are shooting the three at a 35.4% rate. That clip is a substantial increase over the team's 27.0% three-point clip in non-conference play.
- With today's 27-point performance, Mitchell has surpassed the 20-point mark five times, including in three of the past six games. His 17.9 point per game scoring average ranks second in the Summit League.
- The Roos dominated the paint, outscoring the Mavericks 34-18.
- After swatting five shots at Denver on Thursday, Ngandu blocked away two shots today, giving him 25 total on the season. At his current rate, he would finish the regular season with 47 blocks, which would be the third-best single-season total in program history.
- Posting eight steals tonight, KC has reached that mark in four of the past five games. In the first 11 games of the year, the Roos notched that many steals just once.
- Today's win is Kansas City's first road win of the season. Previously, the Roos had been 0-6.
COACH MARVIN MENZIES, QUOTED
"Effort and energy was there on both sides of the ball tonight. I was obviously pleased with getting a victory in the last game of the year, but it's just another brick in the wall as it relates to our journey and our goals."
"(Allen) is a soldier. He's one of those guys that's able to fight with mental toughness when the physical toughness starts to diminish because you get tired."
UP NEXT
The Roos will have a short break to begin the new year before traveling to Tulsa, Okla. to take on Oral Roberts on Jan. 7.
