UMKC drops two of three games at Gulf Coast Showcase

The men’s basketball team from UMKC participated in the Gulf Coast Showcase and garnered their second victory of the season during the three-game slate.

UMKC’s participation in the Gulf Coast Showcase in Estero, Fla., earlier this week means the closure of the first month of the season is imminent, and with that, an accurate synopsis of the team’s status to begin the season is possible.

The three games in three days against three different opponents provides fans with a lot of information to make that determination. The Roos (2-5) won their opening game of the showcase over Manhattan 74-63 on Monday, then fell to Georgia Southern 78-75 on Tuesday and Penn 68-65 on Wednesday.

Monday’s game was a showcase in and of itself of what UMKC is capable of when its pressure defense is being executed. The Roos forced 16 Manhattan turnovers that they converted into 15 points, and held Manhattan below 39 percent shooting for the game. That defensive effort spurred offensive confidence, aiding the Roos’ efforts to shoot nearly 47 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range.

UMKC displayed more of the same execution against an unbeaten Georgia Southern squad on Tuesday. The Roos forced 15 turnovers that resulted in as many points, while shooting nearly 43 percent. Unfortunately, the pressure that UMKC applied didn’t result in as poor of a shooting percentage for Georgia Southern, as the Eagles shot just over 49 percent and hit a third of their 3-point shot attempts.

Against Penn on Wednesday, the defensive efficiency was somewhat improved as compared to Tuesday. The Roos again allowed their opponents to shoot 49 percent, but forced 18 turnovers. What led to the narrow defeat was more struggles on the offensive end, as the UMKC shot just over 38 percent for the game.