Kansas City
12-15,6-6Summit League
South Dakota State
14-12,7-4Summit League
Kansas City Holds on Late for Win Over League-Leading Jackrabbits
2/15/2024 11:04:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Jamar Brown dropped a double-double and Khristion Courseault came up with big buckets late in the win
KANSAS CITY - History was made in front of a sold-out Swinney Center crowd this evening, as Kansas City Men's Basketball (12-15, 6-6 Summit) knocked off league-leading South Dakota State (14-12, 7-4 Summit), 72-67. The win snaps a 10-game losing streak against the Jackrabbits and is KC's first win over SDSU since rejoining the Summit League. In addition, the Roos have now knocked back-to-back teams out of sole possession of first place in the Summit, first against North Dakota last Saturday and tonight against the Jacks.
Kansas City went on a 10-point run midway through the first half that put the Roos ahead and in control of the game. The Roos' lead surpassed seven just three times, and never in the second half, but a bend-don't-break mentality kept the Jackrabbits at bay as KC led for nearly 38 minutes of game time.Â
The Roos' bench outscored SDSU's, 30-6, led by Khristion Courseault's team-leading 17 points, but Allen David Mukeba Jr. provided a spark in the first half that led to KC's 10-point run, and Yulian Ramirez-Montero provided valuable second-half minutes off the pine.
Courseault added five assists to go along with his 17 points, eight of which came from the free throw line. Jamar Brown dropped 16 points, pulling down 10 boards to log a double-double. Jayson Petty pitched in with nine points while Cameron Faas went for eight points and seven boards.
KEY MOMENTS | HIGHLIGHTS
- 1H - 15:32 / 11-8 | Mukeba made an immediate impact after checkin in at the first media timeout. First, he scored a quick in-bounds bucket, and on the ensuing defensive possession he nabbed a steal and took it the other way for a one-handed hammer. It sparked the Roos' 10-point run and KC never trailed for the rest of the game.
- 1H / 10:11 / 22-14 | South Dakota State cut the Kansas City lead down to three, but back-to-back buckets, a hook shot from Melvyn Ebonkoli and a three from Petty, gave Kansas City some breathing space.
- 1H - 3:04 / 33-28 | The Jackrabbits came back and tied things up, but the Roos responded by scoring five-straight, capped by a three from Tyler Andrews on an assist from Courseault.
- 1H - 0:00 / 35-33 | SDSU had an opportunity to tie or go ahead with the last possession of the first half, but Faas and Petty hounded SDSU's Zeke Mayo defensively, forcing a turnover that allowed KC to enter the break up by two.
- 2H - 15:18 / 42-35 | Courseault jumped in front of an entry pass and came up with a steal, and then found Brown in transition, finishing with a reverse layup amidst a five-point KC run.
- 2H - 9:46 / 50-44 | The Jackrabbits drew back within a point, but the Roos responded with another five-point run, capped by a Courseault pass to Ramirez-Montero for three that pushed the lead back to six.
- 2H - 4:28 / 60-54 | SDSU came storming back to tie things up, but Kansas City responded with an 8-2 run that saw Brown knock down a straight-away three and provide some breathing space.
- 2H - 0:45 / 66-61 | After the Jacks pulled back within a point, Courseault took over, scoring on back-to-back possessions and putting the Roos ahead by five. A defensive stop on the following possession allowed the Roos to ice the game at the line.
STATS TO NOTE
- Kansas City defeated the Jackrabbits for the first time since a 64-57 win on Nov. 28, 2015. SDSU had won 10-straight match-ups, including three-straight games in Kansas City.
- Brown posted a double-double for the sixth time this season, and his first since the win against Portland State on Jan. 6. He ranks top-five in the Summit and top-100 in the nation in total double-doubles.
- Kansas City shot above 50% from the field in the previous two games, but used a different recipe for success tonight. The Roos shot just 38.3%, but limited SDSU to 39.3% shooting, their third-lowest mark this season.
- The Roos forced Summit League Preseason Player of the Year Zeke Mayo into five turnovers and 30.7% shooting on the night, both his worst marks of league play.
POSTGAME INTERVIEWS
Coach Marvin Menzies | Jamar Brown and Khristion Courseault
UP NEXT
The Roos take the week off before traveling to Vermillion, S.D. for a game against South Dakota on Feb. 22.
