Kansas City
5-8,0-0Summit League
East Tennessee State
7-4,0-0SoCon
Slow Shooting Night Hurts Kansas City in Loss to ETSU
12/20/2023 9:22:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Three Roos scored in double-digits, led by Jamar Brown and Cameron Faas
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - Kansas City Men's Basketball (5-8) stayed within striking distance of East Tennessee State (7-4) for most of the night, but could not overcome cold shooting in a 70-57 loss. Three Roos reached double-digit scoring, led by Jamar Brown and Cameron Faas with 12 each, but Kansas City was held to 28.6% field goal shooting on the game.
As has happened a few times this season, it was a run midway through the first half that put Kansas City a step behind. The Roos kept things close in the early going, but did not make a field goal across a span of over six minutes, falling behind by double digits and never quite making up the deficit.
Aside from Faas and Brown, Khristion Courseault also made it into double digits with 11 points. The Roos won the battle of the boards, led by Faas with an eight rebound night. The Buccaneers were carried offensively by Ebby Asamoah, who scored a game-high 24.
KEY MOMENTS | HIGHLIGHTS
- 1H - 16:51 / 6-4 | The Roos got out to a two-point lead thanks to a three-point make from Courseault. Kansas City's first two buckets both came from long range, with the other coming off the hand of Faas. ETSU tied the game up on the next possession and that was the final lead KC would hold on the night.
- 1H - 12:55 / 10-14 | Kansas City went on a four-point run after the Bucs jumped out to an eight-point lead. The first bucket came from Brown, then a jumper by Courseault brought the Roos within four. However, KC would be held scoreless over the next four minutes and ETSU created some separation.
- 1H - 6:18 / 16-23 | The Roos got their first field goal since the Courseault jumper as Brown dished to Tyler Andrews on the wing, shooting with no hesitation and bringing Kansas City back within single digits.
- 1H - 3:37 / 22-29 | Yulian Ramirez-Montero got into the scoresheet for the first time in his collegiate career, knocking down a three-pointer on an inbounds play.
- 2H - 18:07 / 30-41 | Kansas City entered the break down by nine, and after ETSU scored the first five points of the second half Brown stepped into a three and knocked it down, getting the Roos back on the board.
- 2H - 9:49 / 44-51 | The two teams battled evenly for most of the second half until Jeff Ngandu dished to Faas for a three-pointer, bringing the Roos as close as they had been since the first half.
- 2H - 7:35 / 49-58 | The Buccaneers extended their lead back out to double-digits, but a three by Brown cut into the deficit, as close as the Roos would get the rest of the way. From that point on, the Roos were held to one made field goal.
STATS TO NOTE
- Brown scored in double-digits for the team-leading 11th time tonight, while Faas reached the double-digit plateau for the seventh time. Courseault reached the 10-point mark for the fourth game this season, doing so in back-to-back games for the first time.
- Kansas City out-rebounded the Buccaneers, 49-41. The Roos have won the battle of the boards in 10-of-13 games, and are now 5-5 when doing so.
- The Roos were able to stay in the game thanks to eight three-point makes, the eighth time this season KC has made eight-plus triples.
- Kansas City shot 17-of-21 from the charity stripe, tying a season-high for free throws made. The team's free throw percentage of .810 was a season high.
UP NEXT
Kansas City will take a break from game play over the holiday season, returning to action at 7 p.m. on Dec. 29 against Oral Roberts in Kansas City.
