SIOUX FALLS — As was the case in the women's first round games, the top two men's seeds won their Summit League tournament openers on Thursday night, with top-seeded Omaha outlasting Kansas City and second-seeded St. Thomas having no trouble with Denver.
The Mavericks reached the 20-win mark with a 70-61 win over the Roos, paced by Summit League player of the year Marquel Sutton's 228 points, 11 rebounds and four steals. JJ White added 14 points, seven assists and five rebounds as the Mavs held UMKC (13-20) to 33 percent shooting and outscored them 38-18 in the paint.
Jamar Brown had 27 points to lead the Roos.
Omaha (20-12) will face the winner of USD and North Dakota State on Saturday
In the late game the Tommies improved to 23-9 with an 80-62 win. Miles Barnstable had 17 points and six rebounds to lead the way for St. Thomas, with Kendall Blue adding 15 points and Connor Bjerke 13. St. Thomas shot 51 percent from the floor including a 10-for-20 effort from 3-point land and a 24-for-33 performance at the free throw line.
DeAndre Craig had 15 points to lead the Pioneers (11-21) while Josh Pickett added 14.
The Tommies, who are not eligible for the NCAA tournament if they win this tournament, will face the winner of South Dakota State and North Dakota on Saturday in the semifinals.
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