Kansas City Roos improve to 4-4 with doubleheader hoops sweep of Kansas Christian

The Kansas City Roos nearly scored 100 in both games of a rare men’s college basketball doubleheader Saturday at the Swinney Recreation Center.

Playing stand-in opponent Kansas Christian College, an Overland Park school that competes in the National Christian College Athletic Association’s second division, the Roos beat their guests 98-42 and 95-36 to improve to 4-4.

UMKC had added two games against KC’s Spurgeon College last week, but both were subsequently canceled.

Sophomore forward Josiah Allick led the way in both of Saturday’s games, scoring 24 points in the opener and 20, with 13 rebounds, in game two.

”We are very appreciative of Kansas Christian; their administration, their coaches and their kids for following our COVID protocols, taking care of that this week and being willing to play two games in one day,” Roos coach Billy Donlon said. “I thought it was important for our guys, and the way it worked out, a lot of young guys played a lot of minutes and got a lot of opportunities”

Every Roo who played wound up scoring in the first game, with five finishing in double digits. Allick’s 24 was bolstered by Jacob Johnson’s double-double — 18 points, 12 rebounds. Caden Boser added 12 points and Franck Kamgain and D’Anthony Pennington scored 11 apiece.

In the second game, the Roos jumped out to a 15-0 lead and forced 13 first-half turnovers. Pennington was 7-of-8 from the floor for 17 points and Kamgain paced the team’s 11-for-24 effort from beyond the arc with three 3-pointers en route to 14 points overall. Kaimen Lennox also scored 14, followed by Johnson with 10.

“Overall,” Donlon said, “I was really pretty pleased with the day. We did our job.”

The Roos are next scheduled to play at unbeaten Saint Louis on Wednesday.