MBB: Gaines Nets 16 As Dons Topple UMKC

CLICK ON THE VIDEO TAB FOR WANE'S COVERAGE - HIGHLIGHTS COURTESY OF KCTV.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The IPFW Mastodons snapped a nine-game road losing skid on Valentines Day,as the squad topped the Kansas City Kangaroos by a 65-60 final score in the last time that the two teams will meet as members of the Summit League.

Frank Gaines scored a team-high 16 points, while Joe Reed scored 12 and Mario Hines 11. Hines pulled down seven rebounds, while Pierre Bland dished out four assists.

The Mastodons found themselves trailing early, by as many as four as the 'Roos opened the game on a 4-0 run, before IPFW ran off five straight points to lead by one at 5-4. A Brad Reid basket followed, before IPFW ran off another 5-0 run to lead by four at 10-6, and IPFW never gave up their lead for the remainder of the game.

IPFW's first-half lead grew to as many as 10 at 34-24 when Herbert Graham drained a three-point basket with 29 seconds to play, before UMKC ended the half with a Thomas Staton jumper to close the gap to eight at 34-26 heading into the break.

Four straight points by IPFW to start the second half on baskets by Gaines and Reed pushed the lead to 12, and led by 11 at 40-29 before the hosts ran off a 10-0 run to close to within one at 40-39. 

Leading by three at 48-45, the 'Dons go layups from Joe Edwards , Gaines, and Luis Jacobo to push the visitors to a comfortable nine point advantage. The 'Roos would twice climb to within four, but could not cut the gap to a single possession the rest of the way, as the Mastodons held on for a 65-60 victory.

The Mastodons hit half of their 44 shots in the game, 5-of-12 from long range (41.7%), and 16-of-27 (59.3%) from the charity stripe. UMKC went 24-of-54 (44.4%) from the field, 4-of-24 (16.7%) from three-point range, and 8-of-16 on free throws.

The Mastodons return to action on Saturday, February 16, when the squad travels to Vermillion, S.D. to take on the Coyotes of the University of South Dakota in an 8 p.m. tip-off in the Dakota Dome.