Kansas City defeats Omaha 66-73

Kansas City Edges Omaha in Thrilling Conference Showdown

The 2026 college hoops season heated up on Tuesday night as the Kansas City (AWAY) Pilots edged out the top-ranked Omaha (HOME) Mavericks by a slim 7-point margin, 73-66, at Baxter Arena. In a nail-biting conference matchup, Kansas City's balanced attack and stifling defense proved too much for the home-standing Mavericks to handle.

At halftime, the away team was trailing 28-32, but they came out strong in the second half, outscoring Omaha by 10 points (41-31). The largest lead either team held was Omaha's 6-point advantage midway through the first half and Kansas City's 10-point edge with just over 5 minutes remaining.

Kansas City's Karmello Branch led the scoring charge for his team, netting 20 points on 4-5 three-point shooting (55.6% FG). Chris Dockery chipped in with 13 points, while CJ Evans dished out 5 assists to complement his own 14 points.

Omaha's Paul Djobet led all scorers with a game-high 16 points, but struggled from beyond the arc, going just 2-4 (50.0% FG). The Mavericks' offense was also hampered by turnovers and poor rebounding, as they committed 15 errors on both ends of the floor.

In terms of advanced statistics, Kansas City's free throw shooting proved crucial in securing the win. They converted a remarkable 82.0% of their free throws (18/22) compared to Omaha's 64.0%. Additionally, the Pilots out-rebounded their opponents 30-35 but made up for it with their superior defensive play.

The victory marked Kansas City's first conference win this season and sets them up nicely for future matchups against other top-tier programs. Meanwhile, Omaha falls to 1-2 in conference play after struggling on both ends of the floor.

Kansas City's (AWAY) balanced performance against a highly-ranked opponent demonstrates their growth as a team, while Omaha's struggles serve as a reminder that they still have work to do if they hope to stay atop the conference standings.