UMKC defeats Mississippi State 72-67

UMKC could see victory on the horizon. But then Mississippi State struck with pressure and frenzy, turning a six-point deficit into a three-point lead.

A triumph over a Power 5 program appeared to have been frittered away by UMKC.

But the Kangaroos made a stand, reserved their fortune and rallied back for a 72-67 triumph over the Southeastern Conference opponent.

UMKC Point guard Martez Harrison, who had been quiet on the offensive end, splashed two big three-pointers. The first tied the game 64-64 with 2:14 remaining, putting an end to the Bulldogs’ 11-0 run that took about 70 seconds.

The second, a step-back, gave UMKC a 67-64 lead, and the Kangaroos wouldn’t trail again.

“The moments I had, they were big moments, but I attribute that to my coach and my teammates for believing in me,” Harrison said.

Harrison finished with 21 points, 14 coming in the final 6:20.

“We have a great deal of confidence that in those moments, he’s not going to shy away from it,” UMKC Coach Kareem Richardson said of Harrison. “And even though they had made their run we felt very confident we would make something happen.”

Mississippi State aided in the UMKC comeback. The Bulldogs had a 64-61 lead with the ball. But Quinndary Weatherspoon took a quick shot at the basket that was blocked by blocked by Shayok Shayok. Moments later, Harrison buried his first three.

“Quick shots by us,” Mississippi State coach Ben Howland said. “I was proud of the way we fought back, but we didn’t have good possessions at key moments.”

Shayok’s block was one of several good moments for the senior who has been battling a shoulder injury since transferring from Bradley. He missed all but eight games last season and entered Saturday’s game averaging 5.3 points and 4.3 rebounds.

Against the Bulldogs, Shayok went for 15 points and eight rebounds, helping UMKC win the board battle 31-30.

“We’ve been preparing, me and the bigs, for this, and we just executed what we were supposed to do,” Shayok said.

The triumph was UMKC’s second over an SEC team in two years. The Kangaroos opened last season by beating Missouri.

But this one came before a Municipal Auditorium crowed a 2,886, against a program whose coach had taken UCLA to three Final Fours, and a team picked to finish eighth in the SEC. The Bulldogs have one of the game’s top freshmen, guard Malik Newman, who opened the game with a three-pointer and finished with 18 points.

“He’s got great elevation, and he’s going to get his points,” Richardson said. “I thought we made it tough for him.”

Which made it tough for the Bulldogs in what proves to be the signature victory for UMKC this season. The Kangaroos had fallen to Iowa and Minnesota earlier and have non-league games remaining against Louisville and Oklahoma State. But they proved Saturday they could match up with a Power 5 program.

“It’s a big win for our program,” Richardson said. “Hopefully it will give us some confidence. It can be a momentum boost for us.”

UMKC 72, MISSISSIPPI STATE 67

TableStyle: SP-bkwideplayersCCI Template: SP-bkwideplayers

Percentages: FG .371, FT .737. Three-Point Goals: 7-29, .241 (Newman 4-10, Zuppardo 1-1, Weatherspoon 1-2, Sword 1-4, Thomas 0-2, Daniels 0-5, Ready 0-5). Blocked Shots: 3 (Sword 2, Ware). Turnovers: 12 (Sword 4, Ready 2, Newman 2, Daniels, Weatherspoon, Ware). Steals: 8 (Sword 3, Weatherspoon 3, Ready, Zuppardo). Technical Fouls: None.

TableStyle: SP-bkwideplayersCCI Template: SP-bkwideplayers

Percentages: FG .540, FT .765. Three-Point Goals: 5-11, .455 (Harrison 3-6, Steward 1-1, Boyd 1-4). Blocked Shots: 5 (Tillman 3, Shayok, Steward). Turnovers: 17 (Harrison 5, Austin 4, Boyd 2, Smith, Tillman, King, Shayok). Steals: 7 (Boyd 2, Steward, Austin, King, Harrison, Smith). Technical Fouls: None.

Half: UMKC 31-29. Att: 2,886. Officials: Ronnie Hernandez, Doran Gotschall, Brent Meaux.

AP-WF-12-13-15 0024GMT

This story was originally published December 12, 2015 at 6:21 PM with the headline "UMKC defeats Mississippi State 72-67."