Kansas City Takes Down Defending Summit Champs for Season's First Road Win

Saturday, January 3

Omaha, NE

7:00 PM

Kansas City

4-12,1-1Summit League

Omaha

7-10,0-2Summit League

Kansas City

Omaha

Kansas City Takes Down Defending Summit Champs for Season's First Road Win

1/3/2026 9:21:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Highlights

All five Roos scored in double digits, led by Karmello Branch's 20

OMAHA, Neb. - The turning of the calendar to 2026 signaled a fresh start for Kansas City Men's Basketball (4-12, 1-1 Summit), taking down Omaha (7-9, 0-2 Summit) for its first road win of the season this evening, 73-66. The Roos maintained a lead for the entire second half, led by lights-out shooting from Karmello Branch and a double-double from Chris Dockery.

The Roos started slow, missing on seven of their first eight field goal attempts and falling behind by six points early. Kansas City began hitting its offensive rhythm midway through the half, slowly chipping away before taking its first lead of the game on a Jamaria Clark floater with 3:20 remaining in the half. Clark's go-ahead bucket would prove to be the last lead change of the game and went down as KC's only bench points of the contest.

KC was aided by Omaha's physical play in the first half as the Roos were in the bonus before the under-12 timeout hit and shot 9-of-10 from the free throw line. Plagued by foul trouble, the Mavericks were forced to back off in the second frame and Kansas City took advantage.

The Roos struck right away in the second half, extending the lead to double-digits on a pair of threes from Branch and a layup from CJ Evans. Branch caught fire in the second half, shooting 4-of-4 from deep for 12 of his game-high 20 points.

Omaha consistently cut into the Kansas City lead, but the Roos always had an answer. When the Mavericks pulled within four and had a fast break opportunity, it was Kasheem Grady II who came up with a big block and Dockery took it the other way for a dunk.

Omaha pulled within two once again with under six minutes remaining but Jerome Palm put together a five-point run by himself, finishing with an and-one to push the lead back out to seven.

Once again it was a two point lead, this time with under a minute remaining. Palm missed a hook shot, but Dockery was there to clean things up with his third offensive rebound of the day and sunk both free throws. The next trip down the court, Evans stripped the ball away from Omaha's Grant Stubblefield and made his ensuing free throws, effectively icing the game.

After shooting just 35.7% from the field in the first half, the Roos' offense was unstoppable in the second frame, going 50% from the field and 57.1% from three. KC also came up huge in the second half turnover battle, committing three giveaways and forcing nine from Omaha. The Roos outscored the Mavs 8-0 in points off turnovers in the second half.

Branch led the Roos in scoring for the fifth-straight game, putting together his third 20-point showing in the last five games. Dockery finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds for his second-straight double-double, his third total this season. Evans and Branch added 14 points each while Jayson Petty finished with 10.

Kansas City returns to action on Thursday, hosting North Dakota State for a 7 p.m. tip off.