Red-hot KC Roos win 5th straight game. They could finish second in the Summit League

Maddie Hartley
·2 min read

The KC Roos picked up their fifth consecutive win on Thursday, topping the Denver Pioneers on the road 84-69 despite Denver’s Tommy Bruner’s 31-point night.

Jamar Brown led the Roos with 19 points, followed by Allen David Mukeba Jr. and Tyler Andrews with 15 apiece.

The Roos shot 49.1% from the field in the win, earning 23 easy points from the free-throw line on 25 attempts.

Despite the statement finish, the Roos entered halftime with just a 38-37 lead over the Pioneers after a back-and-forth first frame. But KC came out of the break with a 7-0 run before Denver could score, and the Roos began to run away with it from there. Denver never got closer than five points afterward.

The Roos, winning their fifth straight overall, are back to .500 at 15-15 on the season, 9-6 in Summit League play.

KC is tied with North Dakota for second in the Summit League, two games back of South Dakota State (11-4 Summit) with one game to play.

The Roos close out their regular season in Tulsa with a trip to Oral Roberts. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. on March 3.

With one game remaining, here are the top 5 in the Summit League standings:

  • 1. South Dakota State — 11-4

  • T-2. North Dakota — 9-6

  • T-2. Kansas City — 9-6

  • T-4. St. Thomas (MN) — 8-7

  • T-4. North Dakota State — 8-7

KC Roos women’s basketball vs. Denver Pioneers

On the women’s side, the Roos (12-18, 3-12 Summit) struggled at Swinney Center, falling to the Pioneers, 74-60.

Nariyah Simmons led the Roos with 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting off the bench, followed by Alayna Contreras with 15 points as the only starter to score in double-digits.

For Denver (8-20, 5-10 Summit), Emma Smith led the way with 16 points on 4-of-14 shooting, followed by Jordan Jones with 15.

The Roos, leading for only 16 seconds of the contest, closed out the first quarter with a manageable 20-16 deficit but went cold in the second quarter — with just nine points on 4-of-15 shooting.

Denver scored 24 points in the frame, including four 3-pointers, to enter halftime with a 44-25 lead. The Pioneers never looked back.

Next up, the Roos finish out their regular season at Swinney Center on March 2 as they host Oral Roberts (19-9, 10-5 Summit). Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.