UMKC has shot for second place in conference heading into Saturday’s season finale
UMKC has a chance to go where few Kangaroos men’s basketball teams have been.
The ’Roos stand in second place in the Western Athletic Conference, one game ahead of three other teams. Win at Texas-Pan American on Saturday and UMKC will hold on to second.
There’s never been a conference title for the Kangaroos since they joined NCAA Division I in 1987, and only once in their 20-year history of conference affiliation have they finished alone in second place.
That happened in 2005, when UMKC was a member of the Mid-Continent Conference.
No matter what happens in the WAC on Saturday, UMKC will be no worse than a No. 3 seed in the WAC Tournament next week in Las Vegas. New Mexico State has clinched the regular-season title.
UMKC can be the No. 2 seed with a loss, if Seattle loses at Grand Canyon.
The ’Roos are going for the season sweep of the Broncs. UMKC won 70-45 on Feb. 5 in Municipal Auditorium.
UMKC at Texas-Pan American
▪ WHEN/WHERE: 2 p.m. Saturday at Edinburg, Texas
▪ TV/RADIO: KMCI (Ch. 38); KCTE (1510 AM)
▪ OUTLOOK: UMKC, bidding for its third straight victory, wraps up the regular season having clinched its first winning conference record since 2006. The WAC Tournament begins Thursday in Las Vegas. In UMKC’s victory over Grand Canyon, guard Martez Harrison became the 10th Kangaroos player to score 1,000 career points.
To reach Blair Kerkhoff, call 816-234-4730 or send email to bkerkhoff@kcstar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @BlairKerkhoff.
This story was originally published March 6, 2015 at 4:45 PM with the headline "UMKC has shot for second place in conference heading into Saturday’s season finale."