With win vs. Indiana State, KC Roos advance to championship game at Gulf Coast Showcase

The Kansas City Roos are 2-0 in the Gulf Coast Showcase men’s basketball tournament after defeating previously unbeaten Indiana State 63-61 on Tuesday in Estero, Florida.

Thanks to their gritty victory over the Sycamores at Hertz Arena, the Roos will play for the tourney championship Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. against Florida Gulf Coast University, a 67-59 winner vs. Drexel in Tuesday evening’s other semifinal.

Senior guard Shemarri Allen led the surging Roos (3-4) with 21 points against Indiana State (4-1). KC opened the season 0-3 but has now won three of its last four games.

Two other senior guards also factored into the semifinal win: RayQuawndis Mitchell followed up his 35-point performance against Toledo Monday with 16 points against the Sycamores, and Anderson Kopp added 13 points, seven rebounds and three steals for Kansas City.

Mitchell was 9 of 10 at the free-throw line.

The Roos trailed 30-28 at halftime but built a five-point lead by the eight-minute mark of the second half. The Sycamores succeeded in making things interesting until the very end, but the Roos never relinquished their lead.

Courvoisier McCauley paced Indiana State with 18 points. The Sycamores shot 35 three-point attempts to the Roos’ 16; Indiana State made 13, while the Roos made four.

Allen David Mukeba Jr. had his second straight nine-rebound game as the Roos outrebounded the Sycamores, 35-29. Mukeba scored four points, as did freshman forward Jeff Ngandu, who also blocked two shots.

KC beat Toledo 83-71 Monday.

This story was originally published November 22, 2022 at 6:20 PM.