McKissic breaks tie, UMKC grabs 80-72 win over Chicago St.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Brandon McKissic scored 21 points and UMKC turned 15 turnovers into 21 points, defeating Chicago State 80-72 in the Western Athletic Conference opener for both teams Saturday.

McKissic scored on a fast-break layup giving UMKC the lead for keeps, 59-57, with 9:20 left and forcing a Chicago State timeout. He was 9 of 12 from the floor with four rebounds and no turnovers, leading four UMKC players into double-digit scoring. Jamel Allen added 16 points with three 3-pointers, Xavier Bishop scored 14 and Jordan Giles 10. The Kangaroos (6-10) went 25 of 32 at the foul line.

The Kangaroos scored seven straight points after McKissic's tie-breaker and led by as many as 12 the rest of the way. The Cougars led twice in the second half, the last on a Travon Bell 3-pointer for a 57-56 lead.

Anthony Harris scored 17, Rob Shaw added 15 points with eight assists, and Christian Jacob scored 16 for Chicago State (3-13), which has lost its last five. The Cougars had 20 assists on 30 made baskets.