UMKC (7-5) fell at Municipal Auditorium for the first time this season on Thursday night, dropping an 80-75 contest to Omaha (6-5). LaVell Boyd (Chicago, Ill.) led the Roos with a career-high 27 points to go along with six assists and five rebounds. Isaiah Ross (Davenport, Iowa) added 14 points, including three triples.
UMKC led 35-32 at halftime, but the Ross were unable to hang on as Omaha shot 52 percent (15-for-29) from the floor and 60 percent (6-for-10) from beyond the arc over the final 20 minutes.
“It was a tale of two halves for us defensively,” head coach Kareem Richardson said. “I thought our defense was really solid in the first half, but not so in the second half. Omaha did a good job. They made some crucial threes. To their credit, they made their open shots when the opportunity presented itself. I didn’t think we did tonight.”
Boyd scored 18 points in the second half, including a 7-for-8 showing at the foul line following intermission. He finished 9-for-20 from the field in 37 minutes.
Ross registered 11 points in the opening half, including two triples. He has drained at least one 3-pointer in all 12 games of his young career.
For the game, the Roos shot 38 percent (27-for-71) from the floor, 29 percent (8-for-28) from 3-point range and 77 percent (13-for-17) from the foul line.
Broderick Robinson (Grand Junction, Colo.) added six points and six rebounds in 22 reserve minutes. Kyle Steward (Detroit, Mich.) finished with seven points, five boards, two steals and a block.
UMKC travels to West Virginia for a 1 p.m. CT matchup in Morgantown on Saturday. The game will be televised regionally on the east coast by Root Sports.