Kansas City
12-19,4-12Summit League
St. Thomas
22-9,12-4Summit League
Roos Close Regular Season with Tough Battle at St. Thomas
3/1/2025 9:19:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Kansas City's defense held UST far below its season averages, but the Roos fell just short
ST. PAUL, Minn. - Kansas City Men's Basketball (12-19, 4-12 Summit) fell in yet another tightly contested game to close out the regular season this evening, falling to St. Thomas (22-9, 12-4), 65-59. With the loss, Kansas City will play in the opening round of the Summit League Tournament next week, claiming the No. 8 seed and meeting Oral Roberts on Wednesday evening.
The Roos' staunch defense kept them in the game, but they could not get enough going on the offensive end to overcome the Summit League's second-ranked team. Kansas City held UST to 21-of-59 shooting from the floor, nearly 15% below their season average. Despite shooting 44.0% themselves, KC was held to 3-of-17 shooting from long range, making six fewer triples than the Tommies.
For the second time in as many games against St. Thomas, Babacar Diallo led Kansas City's scoring efforts, finishing with 17 points, eight rebounds and a team-high four assists. Melvyn Ebonkoli continued his stellar play of late, finishing with 10 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. Jamar Brown also reached double-digits, scoring 12.
KEY MOMENTS | HIGHLIGHTSÂ
- 1H - 14:14 / 10-3 | Kansas City opened up an early lead with Diallo finding Brown in the fast break for a two-handed slam.
- 1H - 8:51 / 16-12 | Davontae Hall created separation inside, knocking down a floater for his first bucket of the game. St. Thomas responded with a five-point run to take the lead.
- 1H - 5:48 / 22-19 | Ebonkoli set a screen at the top of the key for Gob Gob, who used a crossover dribble, pulled up and buried a three to reclaim the lead.
- 1H - 0:03 / 28-31 | Brown got a bucket to go and brought the Roos within three, then Hall blocked a last-second three-point attempt by the Tommies and took KC into the break with some momentum.
- 2H - 13:59 / 35-38 | St. Thomas opened up its largest lead of the game, but Diallo responded by stopping on a dime and nailing a triple.
- 2H - 9:57 / 44-43 | Diallo found Faas at the top of the key for a three-pointer, gaining the lead for the first time since the first half. The Tommies promptly responded with a bucket and went back ahead.
- 2H - 6:03 / 50-50 | Hall attacked an opening in the UST defense, finishing at the rim with his right hand and tying the game up.
- 2H - 3:12 / 54-56 | Ebonkoli pulled down an offensive board and got the put-back to go for the Roos' final field goal of the night. KC would hit free throws late to draw as close as one, but did not have enough offensive firepower to overcome the Tommies.
STATS TO NOTE
- Ebonkoli's double-double is his third of the season and the third of his career. He pulled down 10 defensive rebounds, the most by a KC player since he reached that same mark against Kansas Christian on Nov. 8.
- Kansas City held the Tommies to season-low shooting percentages from the floor and from three. UST's 24.3% clip from long range was their first time shooting below 30% from three since a Dec. 29 loss at UC Riverside.
- KC owned the battle of the boards with 37 to UST's 29, including a 28-19 advantage on the defensive glass.
- Diallo has gone for 15-plus points in five games this season, all of which have come since Dec. 17.
POSTGAME INTERVIEW
Coach Menzies Postgame
UP NEXT
Kansas City will open postseason play with a game against ninth-seeded Oral Roberts in Sioux Falls on Wednesday evening. The Roos and Golden Eagles split the season series, each defending their home courts.
