Three-ball from Xavier Bishop gives UMKC first conference win of season

The UMKC Kangaroos have in no small measure lived and died by the three-point shot this season.

On Thursday night at Municipal Auditorium, it was a three-pointer that breathed some new life into the ’Roos.

UMKC guard Xavier Bishop hit a step-back three-pointer with 1.2 seconds left in the game and the Kangaroos beat California State Bakersfield 62-59 for their first conference win of the season.

With the victory, UMKC improved to 6-14 overall and 1-3 in the WAC. Cal State Bakersfield was also after its first WAC win but dropped to 7-12 and 0-4.

Bishop, who finished with 12 points, had made one other three-pointer in the game, one he banked in off the backboard. He finished 4 of 9 from the field and 2 of 3 on threes.

As a team, UMKC was 11 of 28 on three-pointers (39.2 percent), which accounted for more than half of the team’s points. In contrast, Cal State Bakersfield finished 3 of 14 on three-pointers.

UMKC, which got a team-high 16 points from Brandon McKissic (4 of 4 on three-pointers), led virtually the entire game. But the Kangaroos let things get close down the stretch and needed the big move and basket from the 5-8 Bishop to get the victory.

UMKC will play host to Grand Canyon at Municipal Auditorium on Saturday.

This story was originally published January 18, 2018 at 9:26 PM with the headline "Three-ball from Xavier Bishop gives UMKC first conference win of season."