In a thrilling showdown on Thursday night, DeAndre Craig put on a remarkable performance for Denver, scoring 16 points that helped secure a narrow 69-68 victory over Kansas City.
With just 2.8 seconds remaining, Craig was fouled and stepped up to the free-throw line, sinking his first shot to reduce the team’s deficit to 68-66. Although he missed the second attempt, he managed to get his own rebound, made a layup while being fouled, and successfully converted the ensuing free throw with only 1.1 seconds left on the clock, sealing the victory for the Pioneers.

In addition to Craig’s standout contribution, he also contributed five rebounds to the team effort for Denver, now sports a record of 8-15 overall and 2-6 in the Summit League. Pedro Lopez-Sanvicente had an impressive outing, hitting 5 of 6 shots from the field and adding 12 points to the scoreboard. Adbulai Fanta Kabba also chipped in with 10 points, completing his performance with an identical 5 of 6 shooting accuracy.

On the other side of the court, Jamar Brown was the leading scorer for Kansas City, finishing the game with 15 points. His teammate, Jayson Petty, contributed 11 points to the Kangaroos’ efforts as well as two steals. Babacar Diallo also made his mark with eight points, yet Kansas City finding itself in a challenging position as they faced their sixth consecutive loss.

Both teams will look to rebound from this matchup with upcoming games scheduled for Saturday. The Pioneers will head to Omaha while the Kangaroos are set to travel to face Oral Roberts.