Kansas City
4-6,0-0Summit League
Idaho
4-5,0-0Big Sky
Comeback Attempt Falls Short in Battle with Vandals
12/4/2024 11:24:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Kopp goes for 20-plus for third time in four games as Roos drop Big Sky-Summit Opener
KANSAS CITY - Kansas City Men's Basketball (4-6) looked to dig itself out of an early deficit but fell just short against Idaho (4-5) this evening, falling 82-77. The hot-shooting Vandals put the Roos behind by double digits before the first media timeout, leaving KC to chip away for the rest of the game. Kansas City brought the score within a single possession in the late stages of the game before Idaho ultimately prevailed.
Anderson Kopp was KC's leading scorer for the fourth-straight game, finishing with 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting. He was joined by Jamar Brown, who tallied 17 points and seven rebounds in his return from injury.
KEY MOMENTS
- 1H - 18:08 / 2-11 | Gob Gob drove the baseline and dumped a pass off to Melvyn Ebonkoli for the Roos' first bucket of the day after an 11-0 start by the Vandals.
- 1H - 8:11 / 17-29 | Kasheem Grady II came around a screen and knocked down the Roos' first three of the game, bringing KC within 12.
- 2H - 18:55 / 34-43 | Cameron Fass found Kopp for a strong layup in the paint to bring the Roos within single digits for the first time since the 18:08 mark of the first half.
- 2H - 12:28 / 48-54 | Brown fought through a pair of Idaho players to bring down an offensive rebound, finding Jayson Petty for an and-one layup that gave the Roos energy and brought them within six.
- 2H - 6:08 / 60-68 | Brown took a pass on the right wing, knocking down a triple with a hand in his face. The Vandals responded with a seven-point run to keep KC at arm's length.
- 2H - 1:15 / 68-75 | Following a long replay review, Babacar Diallo found Anderson Kopp for a three-pointer that kept the Roos' hopes alive.
- 2H - 0:03 / 77-80 | Grady came up with a big steal in the full-court press and nailed the ensuing triple to bring the Roos within three, but Idaho knocked down its free throws on the other end and escaped with the victory.
STATS TO NOTE
- Kopp is averaging 21.8 points per game across the last four games, surpassing the 20-point plateau in three of the four. He is the first Roo to go for 20 points three times in a four game span since Shemarri Allen did so from Jan. 28-Feb. 9, 2023.
- Grady finished 3-of-3 from beyond the three-point line, becoming the ninth Kansas City player since the 2019-20 season to go perfect from beyond the arc with at least three attempts in a game.
- Following a zero-point performance against SEMO, Petty returned to his double-digit scoring ways, finishing with 13 points tonight. He has now scored 10-plus in 9-of-10 games.
- Davontae Hall ended the night with four assists and three steals, leading the team in both categories.
POSTGAME INTERVIEW
Coach Marvin Menzies
UP NEXT
KC finishes the Big Sky-Summit Challenge on the road, playing at Montana State on Saturday evening.
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