The Kansas City men’s basketball team put forth a great effort on both ends of the court in a 99-41 blowout win over the Crowley’s Ridge Pioneers last week. The win gave the Roos a perfect 5-0 non-conference home record for the season.
“I thought we played a little sluggish in the first half,” Head Coach Billy Donlon said. “I’m proud they fought through the adversity and found another gear. Guys are continuing to get better throughout the course of the season.”
The Roos started on an 11-3 run in the first half, with freshman forward Josiah Allick scoring a quick eight points. Senior guard Rob Whitfield drained three triples and sophomore guard Franck Kamgain added eight points in the first half as well. Kansas City had 14 assists in the first half, and seven Roos scored at least four points to help give the team a 16-point halftime lead.
“It felt good, I just have to give credit to my teammates for hitting shots,” Kamgain said. “Everybody was shooting well out there, so I just made sure everybody had a chance to hit open shots.”
The Roos turned up their play after the break, going on a 19-0 run to start the half and holding the Pioneers scoreless for the first five minutes to take a 35 point lead. The Roos defense would hold the Pioneers to only 12 points on 20% shooting in the half while coming up with 10 steals. Kansas City’s balanced offense saw five players hit double digits, and all nine Roos who played would score.
Kansas City continued its impressive play with a 69-51 victory over Chicago State on Saturday. The Roos shot 46% from the field and a red-hot 53% from beyond the arc. Senior guard Rob Whitfield led the team with 21 points on 5-of-9 shooting from three. The win moved Kansas City to 12-11 on the season, already surpassing its win total from last year.
The Roos take on UT Rio Grande Valley at home on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m.
