UMKC rally falls short against Seattle in WAC semifinals

Fire and ice. Each element has proved to sometimes have unwanted effects.

UMKC learned not having the answer to either is a detriment as Seattle held off the Roos’ late rally to secure a 69-63 win in the semifinal round of the Western Athletic Conference men’s basketball tournament Friday at Orleans Arena.

The loss ends UMKC’s season at 14-19. Seattle, 16-14 on the year, was set to face top seed New Mexico State in Saturday’s championship game.

“We simply dug ourselves a hole early on,” UMKC coach Kareem Richardson said. “I am proud of the way this team hung in there and battled all night, especially down the stretch. In the end, it was just too much to overcome.”

UMKC, which trailed by double-digits for much of the night, rallied late by going on a 12-4 run.

A layup by Deshon Taylor started the rally with just over two minutes to play.

Taylor then made the No. 1 play of the night on “SportsCenter” with the Roos trailing 64-52 and 1:42 to play.

A rebound was tipped long, headed out of bounds near the three-point elbow. Taylor jumped for the ball and heaved it over his shoulder with his back turned to the basket.

Swish. Taylor’s save turned into a three-pointer that cut the Seattle lead to 64-55.

Later, a pair of free throws by Martez Harrison, the WAC player of the year, pulled the Roos to within 65-59 with 52 seconds left.

But Seattle was able to secure the victory by connecting on four free throws in the closing minute.

Seattle’s Isiah Umipig proved to be the fire all night. He connected on seven of 12 three-point shots in the first half and scored 21 points as the Redhawks built a 34-18 lead at the intermission.

His first trey, just 22 seconds into the game, gave Seattle the lead. Taylor tied the game one minute later on a three-pointer of his own.

Emerson Murray’s free throw five seconds later put Seattle ahead to stay.

The Roos were outscored 30-15 the rest of the way in the first half. That UMKC was ice cold from the floor did little to aid its comeback efforts. The Roos shot just seven of 26 from the floor and finished the game shooting 35 percent, 19 for 54.

Seattle, meanwhile, was 21 for 43 from the floor.

Umipig finished with 30 points to lead all scorers. His eight three-pointers tied a WAC Tournament record.

Umipig “is one of the most talented players in the league, and he showed that” Friday, Richardson said. “He simply willed his team to that fast start.”

William Powell and Jarell Flora added 13 and 12 points, respectively, joining Umipig in double figures.

UMKC also placed three players in double figures with Taylor leading the way with 16 points and teammate Reese Holliday chipping in with 15 points.

Harrison, who was just one for 11 from the floor, finished with 12 points, nine of which came on 10 foul shots.

This story was originally published March 14, 2015 at 8:10 AM with the headline "UMKC rally falls short against Seattle in WAC semifinals."