Roos Give Cowboys a Fight in Strong Showing

Thursday, December 18

Stillwater, OK

7:00 PM

Kansas City

2-11,0-0Summit League

Oklahoma State

10-1,0-0Big 12

Kansas City

Oklahoma St.

Roos Give Cowboys a Fight in Strong Showing

12/18/2025 9:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Highlights Coach Menzies Postgame

Kansas City held a lead late in the second half before falling at Oklahoma State

STILLWATER, Okla. - Entering tonight's game as 30-point underdogs, Kansas City Men's Basketball (2-11) played like it had something to prove against Oklahoma State (10-1). The Roos hung with the Cowboys through most of the game, even claiming a late lead before falling, 91-79. Four Kansas City players reached double-figure scoring, led by Karmello Branch for the second-straight game with 18 points.

Oklahoma State jumped out early, scoring the game's first 10 points before a layup by Kasheem Grady II got Kansas City on the board. OSU build the lead to as large as 13 points but once Kansas City settled into the game, they began chipping away at the deficit. Back-to-back triples by Grady pulled KC back within a pair of points, where the lead would hover for the rest of the half. A pair of free throws from Jamaria Clark with 41 seconds remaining in the half would bring the Roos within a point, but OSU finished the half with a triple and took a four-point edge into the break.

The Cowboys extended the lead back out to 10 points early in the second half but following a 90 second scoreless spurt from both sides, a tip-in by Addarin Scott sparked an 11-0 run for Kansas City. Scott added an and-one bucket, Petty nailed a three and Jerome Palm buried a triple from the top of the arc to give KC its first lead of the contest heading into the under-12 media break. Branch hit a layup with just over eight minutes remaining to give KC a 65-64 lead, the last lead the Roos would hold in the game. OSU ended the contest on a 27-14 run and took the win.

The 12-point loss is the closest Kansas City has played a team from the Big 12 since a 52-44 loss at Kansas State on Dec. 29, 2012. KC was able to make 11 three-pointers, including four each from Grady and Branch. They also forced the Cowboys into 16 turnovers, their most in nearly a month.

Adding to a 18-point performance, Branch also tallied career-bests with four assists and three steals. Jayson Petty added 16 points and a game-high five steals, followed by Grady with 14 points and Palm with 11.

The Roos return to action on Sunday, hosting Austin Peay at the Swinney Center for a 5 p.m. tipoff.