KANSAS CITY -- The Omaha men's basketball team dropped its weekend opener at Kansas City Friday night, falling 62-52 at the Swinney Center.
 
Leaders for Omaha
Matt Pile registered his third double-double of the year to lead Omaha with 16 points and 14 rebounds, hitting 8-of-12 from the field. The senior also had four blocks, an assist and a steal.
 
Ayo Akinwole joined him with 15 points, four assists and two steals, and La'Mel Robinson added 12 points and a pair of assists.
 
Nick Ferrarini made his first career start and chipped in another seven points with seven boards and two helpers.
 
Leaders for Kansas City
Brandon McKissic led all scorers with 29 points on 11-of-19 shooting along with four rebounds, five assists and four steals. Zion Williams grabbed a team-leading seven rebounds as well.
 
Team Stats
Omaha shot 41.3% (19-of-46) to Kansas City's 38.6% (22-of-57), but the Roos finished 76.5% (13-of-17) at the line while the Mavericks were 58.8% (10-of-17). Behind Pile's effort on the glass, Omaha outrebounded UMKC 39-27.
The Roos scored 20 points off turnovers, capitalizing on 24 Maverick miscues.
 
Inside the First Half
Pile led the way with eight points and seven caroms in the first half, and Akinwole added another eight points behind a 2-of-2 effort from beyond the arc.
 
After the Roos went up by as many as nine, a pair of Pile hook shots closed the half for Omaha and trimmed the Kansas City lead to 27-23 at the midway point.
 
Inside the Second Half
Akinwole and Pile got it started in the second half, with back-to-back buckets knotting the game at 27-27 and completing the 8-0 run that started at the end of the first stanza.
 
But the Roos responded immediately with a 14-3 spurt that gave them a 41-30 advantage. UMKC built to its largest lead of 14 in the final two minutes and got a 17-point second half effort from McKissic.
 
Noting Tonight's Game
-Omaha trailed nearly the entire way, as Kansas City led for 37:37.
-Akinwole has scored in double figures in three straight games, averaging 21.0 ppg.
 
Up Next
Omaha and Kansas City close their series on Saturday, Feb. 13, with tipoff set for 7 p.m. at the Swinney Center in Kansas City, Mo. Gary Sharp will have the radio call on 1290 KOIL, and links to live video, audio and stats will be available on OMavs.com.