The Basics
Score: No. 1 Omaha 70, No. 8 Kansas City 61
Records: Omaha (20-12, 13-3 SL), Kansas City (13-20, 4-12 SL)
Location: Denny Sanford PREMIER Center - Sioux Falls, S.D.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Top-seeded Omaha got a double-double from Marquel Sutton and withstood a late charge by the No. 8 seed Kansas City to knock off the Roos 70-61 in the opening quarterfinal of the 2025 Summit League Men's Basketball Championship at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center on Thursday.
Sutton and his senior classmate JJ White proved why they were the Mavericks' all-league first-team duo, combining for 28 points in the first half—outscoring the Roos on their own and helping Omaha establish a commanding double-digit lead by halftime. Sutton finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds to post his seventh double-double of the season, while White added 14 in the contest.
Sutton was nearly flawless, hitting 5-of-6 shots from the field, while White went 4-for-7. Their combined nine field goals were just one shy of the entire Kansas City team, which struggled offensively, shooting 10-for-35.
KC senior Jamar Brown was a bright spot for the Roos, accounting for four of those makes, including a pair of three-pointers. However, Kansas City’s only lead of the half came early at 3-2, as Omaha quickly took control.
The Mavericks extended their advantage to as many as 18 points following a pair of White free throws in the final minute of the half. The Roos did manage to close on a small surge, scoring the last four points to trim the deficit to 40-26 at the break.
Omaha wasted no time extending its lead to 19 early in the second half, but Kansas City came roaring back. In a furious 1:46 span, the Roos rattled off 10 straight points, slashing the deficit to single digits and forcing a frustrated Mavericks head coach Chris Crutchfield to burn a timeout.
With momentum shifting, Brown brought KC within seven on a tough bucket with 12:47 left. However, Omaha had the answer, responding with a decisive 9-2 run over the next three minutes to reestablish control and stretch the lead back to 56-42—this time forcing Roos head coach Marvin Menzies to stop the bleeding with a timeout.
Still, the Roos refused to fold. Jayson Petty caught fire in the final minute, pouring in six quick points to bring Kansas City within seven, sparking hopes of a last-ditched upset. But Omaha stood firm, fending off the late surge to secure its second straight trip to the semifinals.
The Mavericks await the winner of the quarterfinal between No. 4 seed North Dakota State and No. 5 seed South Dakota that will be played Friday at 6 p.m. CT.
Turning Point
The Roos started threatening towards the midway point of the second half, pulling with seven but Omaha's 9-2 in response was enough cushion to keep the Mavericks comfortably in the lead the rest of the way.
Inside the Box Score
- Sutton has now reached double figures in all four his Summit League postseason games and has 20-plus in 10 of his last 11 games overall. He also collected his seventh double-double of the season with a game-high 10 rebounds.
- Brown followed up his 24-point performance from the first-round win over Oral Roberts with another team-high 27 tonight
- Both teams had nine turnovers, 10 points off turnovers and 37 total rebounds, while KC held a 14-9 edge on the offensive glass and a 17-7 advantage in second-chance points.
News & Notes
- The Mavericks secured their first 20-win season since the 2018-19 squad went 21-11. That was also the last Omaha team to advance to the Summit League Championship title game. The 2017 team also did but neither were able to hoist a trophy.
- Omaha has now won a tournament game in each of head coach Chris Crutchfield's three seasons at the helm of his alma mater. The Mavericks made the semifinals last season and advanced to the quarterfinals in 2023.
- The Roos were seeking their first semifinal appearance since the 2007 Tournament played in Tulsa.
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