UMKC starts fast, closes strong; beats NAIA Avila 89-58 (Dec 28, 2017)

By AP
Published

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) Isaiah Ross scored 20 points to lead five players into double-figure scoring and UMKC cruised to an 89-58 win over NAIA hometown rival Avila on Thursday night.

The Kangaroos started fast, hitting 7 of their first 8 shots from the field, and closed the game on a 16-3 run.

Broderick Robinson, Xavier Bishop and Robert Knar each scored 12 points for UMKC (4-11), which picked up its second home court win in four starts. Aleer Leek added 11 points.

The Kangaroos built a 46-29 by intermission and hit 50 percent from the field, knocking down 32 of 64 attempts, including 13 of 30 from beyond the three-point arc.

Byron Cooke finished with 13 points to lead Avila, with Josh Benford and Shandon Boone adding 12 and 10 points, respectively. The Eagles shot 38.2 percent (21 of 55) from the field, including 3 of 18 from distance.