Kangaroos Look To Bounce Back Into Home Win Column Against IUPUI Monday
1/6/2008 5:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball
UMKC hosts IUPUI at 7 p.m. on Monday night in the third game of a four-game home stand, looking to bounce back from its first home defeat of the 2007-08 season. The Kangaroos look to the friendly confines of Swinney Recreation Center to get back into the win column against the Jaguars, with both teams still looking for their first Summit League win.
About The JaguarsLed by Shann Hart, the Jaguars have put together a 4-10 record on the season and - like the Kangaroos - are looking for their first win in The Summit League. IUPUI fell to Western Illinois in Macomb, Ill., to open the season before dropping a result at Southern Utah on Saturday. Hart, who is in her fourth year on the bench at IUPUI, has put together a 42-68 overall mark.
The Jaguars have a bit of local flavor, as Kansas City, Mo., native Jernisha Cann leads the squad with 12.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. She has also collected better than a third of the team's steals, with 45 on the season. Julia Whitted and Christina Cunningham are also solid offensive contributors for IUPUI, averaging 11.8 and 7.9 pts/gm respectively. Whitted, who averages 7.0 rebounds per contest, is also among the block leaders in The Summit League, recording 34 on the campaign, although she has turned the ball over 34 times as well.
By The Numbers
UMKC holds a slight statistical edge over IUPUI across the board, with the Jaguars holding better marks in just three categories - free throw percentage, turnovers and scoring defense - on the campaign. UMKC has been quite a bit better on the offensive side of the ledger, however, outscoring the Jaguars by nearly 12 points on the year. The Kangaroos have given up nearly four more points per game than has IUPUI, however, despite holding their opponents to a lower shooting percentage.
fg% 3fg% ft% reb. ast to blk stl pts o pts o fg%
IUPUI .375 .211 .685 33.8 12.3 18.3 3.4 9.1 53.7 60.4 .398
UMKC .397 .280 .663 38.4 14.7 19.7 4.0 9.8 65.5 64.3 .388
Last Time Out For The Kangaroos
Returning to Summit League action, UMKC squared off against Western Illinois on Saturday afternoon. After taking a two-point edge into the half, the Kangaroos couldn't withstand a late push by the Westerwinds, falling 68-54.
Lindsay Fields came up with a defensive stop for the Kangaroos on the first possession of the game, blocking a jumper from Gina Hugelier, but UMKC wasn't able to convert on the offensive end of the floor.
Both teams continued to struggle, with better than 2:30 elapsing before Western Illinois made the first field goal of the contest. The visitors built a 6-4 lead with 14:12 left in the half.
UMKC responded with a 8-0 run stretching just over three minutes. Alysa Klein capped the run with back-to-back rejections on Katy Davenport jumpers followed by a make on the other end.
Western Illinois answered with a 9-2 spurt of its own to retake the lead with 6:02 left in the half, but Sierra Radke drained a trey to put UMKC back in front 17-15 with just over five minutes left.
The Kangaroos would take that two-point cushion into the break, leading 26-24.
Hugelier tied the ballgame on Western Illinois' first possession after the intermission, but UMKC took the lead back with five unanswered points - four from Klein - over a 70 second spurt.
The Kangaroos would hang on to the lead until the 10:40 mark, as Hugelier knotted the game at 40-40 in the midst of a 7-0 run for Western Illinois.
Down the stretch, UMKC couldn't counter a hot shooting Western Illinois team. The Kangaroos hit just five of their final 15 shots as the Westerwinds missed just four of their last 13 to pull away. Turnovers also cost UMKC, as they coughed the ball up five times over the final 10:40.
Klein led the Kangaroos with 12 points, falling just one rebound shy of a double-double. Radke added 11 points and five assists in the losing effort for UMKC.
Davenport paced the Westerwinds with 17 points, while Hugelier and Amanda Walker chipped in 16 each. Stephanie Lovingood dominated the glass, pulling down 15 of Western Illinois' 43 boards, missing a double-double by one point.
The Kangaroos finished the game hitting at 35.0 percent (21-60) from the floor, with the Westerwinds bolstered by a 50 percent second half mark to a 22-53 (41.5 percent) overall mark. WIU was also solid from the charity stripe, hitting all 10 efforts in the second half en route to a 85.0 percent (17-20) mark for the game, besting UMKC's 53.3 percent (8-15) rate.
In The Last, Win The First?
Fans of UMKC women's basketball will certainly hope that head coach Candace White-Whitaker doesn't follow in the footsteps of the previous two coaches who captured victories in season openers for the Kangaroos. Both Bo Overton and Dana Eikenberg opened the final season of their respective tenures with victories. Overton picked up a 71-46 decision over Northern Colorado to open the 2006-07 campaign before departing for the Chicago Sky of the WNBA mid-season, while Eikenberg downed Kansas by a 63-50 margin before leaving after the 2003-04 season for Southern Illinois.
Looking back to the first time the Kangaroos opened the road slate with a win also gives a bit of pause, as Jeff Tadtman dispatched Southeast Missouri State on the road by a 71-70 scoreline in the final season of his tenure. UMKC would later forfeit the contest and other wins earned in the 1999-2000 season, although the results have not been vacated by the NCAA Committee on Infractions.
Seconds Please...
The Kangaroos' win over Air Force marked just the third time since UMKC joined the Division I ranks that the Kangaroos started the season 2-0. Brian Agler is the last coach to accomplish that feat, doing so in back-to-back seasons in 1991-92 and 1992-93. The 1991-92 squad opened with a four-game winning streak en route to a 24-7 overall record, while the 1992-93 version of the Kangaroos mustered a three-game streak and finished with a 17-10 record. Ironically the 1992-93 feat also marked the end of a coaching tenure at UMKC, as Agler departed following the campaign.
Three-Point Play
UMKC has started to turn the corner in the three-pointer department after struggling earlier this season, but is still well shy of the 2006-07 mark. Although the teams are very similar in the makes (68 this season to 69 last season) department, last year's squad had put up nearly 20 fewer three balls. The Kangaroos have hit at a 28.0 percent clip this season on 243 attempts compared to a 30.7 percent rate on 225 attempts last season.
Ironically, success from distance has not been a real factor to the Kangaroos, as UMKC has dropped three of the six contests that saw it outshoot its opponent and won four of the eight contests where it was the poorer shooter on the evening.
(Almost) At The Halfway Point
Even without considering the overall record, UMKC is doing better with 14 games in the book this season than on the 2006-07 campaign. This year's Kangaroo squad has been a bit more accurate through the first 14 games (39.7 percent to 39.0 percent) and considerably more productive on the offensive output. This year's team averages 65.5 points per contest, 6.1 points better than last year's effort.
Equally stingy on the defensive end, the 2007-08 UMKC squad has held its foes to an average of 64.3 points per game compared to a 66.4 pts/gm average last year. The Kangaroos have also handed out 11 more assists and pulled 21 more steals, while forcing 41 more turnovers than last year's squad. Rebounding and free throw shooting are improved as well, with the only category to have seen a significant dropoff is blocked shots.
UMKC In League Openers
With the loss at IPFW, UMKC fell to 6-8 overall in league openers. The Kangaroos are 2-3 when opening the league slate on the road and 4-5 in home openers. Candace White-Whitaker captured a win to open league play last season, downing Southern Utah 64-48. Overall, UMKC is 6-7 in league openers, with a 2-2 record when opening the league slate away from home. The last time the Kangaroos opened the conference slate with a road win came in the 2002-03 season, when UMKC downed Southern Utah by a 61-54 margin.
Short But Sweet
After missing the entirety of her first season at UMKC with a knee injury, Tarah Cullen has been struggling to get fully healthy and make a mark in the lineup. The redshirt sophomore picked a spectacular time to do just that at Missouri, as she checked into the game with just seven seconds left on the clock, as UMKC filled its lineup with three-point specialists. With 1.1 ticks left on the clock, she was fouled, sinking all three efforts from the line coolly to send the game to overtime.
Home Sweet Home
Until the loss against Western Illinois, Kansas City had been a welcome home for UMKC this season, as the Kangaroos held a perfect 5-0 record at home. On the road, however, UMKC has picked up just two wins, compiling a 2-5 record as visitor and an 0-1 neutral site record - although UMKC was the away team in that contest as well.
Glamourous 30's
Holding Newman to 32 points was an amazing achievement for UMKC, marking the first time since the 2004-05 season that a Kangaroo opponent was held below 40 points and the 18th time during the Kangaroos tenure in Division I. The mark was the third-lowest in the Division I era and sixth best all-time. The most recent result came as UMKC downed IUPUI 76-36 on February 12, 2005.
The 49-point win also marked the fourth-best margin of victory in the Division I era. In each of the three big wins, UMKC victimized Chicago State (109-52 - Feb. 20, 1988; 100-48 - Feb. 20, 1995; 93-43 - Jan. 2, 1999) on three occasions. Chicago State also provided the most feeble offensive output by an opponent in the Division I era in a 56-25 loss on Jan. 6, 2000.
Going back to the NAIA era, the defensive showing is the sixth-lowest score for an opponent, but only the 18th-best margin of victory. In-town foe Park put up remarkably little opposition in a 101-19 win for UMKC on Dec. 11, 1981.
That 70's Show
Against Missouri, UMKC dropped a result in which they scored 70 points or more for the only time this season, finishing on 73 points for the third time this year. UMKC is 4-1 when cresting the 70-point plateau, including one time better than 80 points - an 80-68 win over Texas State). The Kangaroos downed Central Arkansas by a 73-63 count and bested Saint Louis by a 73-70 margin.
On the flip side, UMKC has lost three of the four contests that have seen its opponents score 70 points or more. The aforementioned win over Saint Louis marks the only time UMKC has allowed 70 points in a win. The Kangaroos have not allowed an opponent to score 80 points on the year, although opponents have hit 78 twice (at San Francisco, at Oakland) thus far.
50 Ain't Nifty
On the lower side of the ledger, UMKC isn't so much a fan of the 50's, having dropped all five contests where they ended the evening with fewer than 59 points - at Kansas, against South Alabama, at IPFW, at Oakland and against Western Illinois. It has been kind on the defensive end, however, as UMKC has not lost a contest in which its opponent failed to score at least 59 points.
Going The (Extra) Distance...
UMKC certainly had to like its chances going into the extra frame at Missouri, as the Kangaroos have had considerable success in overtime in recent history. They were victorious in extra time on two consecutive season-ending trips to Western Illinois, also picking up an overtime win over IUPUI in 2007. Prior to this season, the last time the Kangaroos were defeated in overtime came during the 2003-04 season, as Dana Eikenberg's squad dropped a result at West Virginia. UMKC is 9-14 all time in overtime contests, with Western Illinois and Oral Roberts the most likely foes. The Kangaroos hold a 3-0 record in extra frames against the Westerwinds and just a 1-3 record against the Golden Eagles.
Starting Fast
In her first full season at the helm for UMKC, head coach Candace White-Whitaker jumped in with both feet, as her squad opened the regular season with four games over a span of eight days. The Kangaroos opened the 2007-08 campaign with a road contest at Central Arkansas on November 9 before returning home to face the Lady Falcons of Air Force on Sunday. After a mid-week jaunt to Lawrence to take on Kansas, UMKC wrapped up the busy stretch with a home game against Northern Colorado on November 17.
The last time UMKC was not scheduled to play a game during the holiday break was on the 2004-05 campaign, Bo Overton's first season in charge. The Kangaroos finished that season with a Championship run, becoming the first UMKC squad to play for a conference title in basketball.
Back To Back AAaack...
The first weekend of league play was a bit harsh, as the Kangaroos set season lows in back-to-back contests for the first time this season. UMKC hit a season-low 51 points at IPFW before landing at a new low of 50 at Oakland on Monday. The Kangaroos also set new low marks in free throws and attempts in both contests (8-9 followed by 3-8) and tied a season-low in steals at seven in both games.
In The Down Low
Marta Waalen has worked her way into the starting lineup with a solid shooting performance on the campaign. She leads the Kangaroos on the campaign with a .537 shooting percentage from the floor. UMKC's other starting post player, Alysa Klein, is second with a .487 mark.
Outright Theft
Taushelle Rushing comes to UMKC with a solid pedigree, having set a single-season NJCAA Region XI record with 215 swipes as a sophomore.
In her first year in the Division I ranks, she has averaged 3.21 steals per game and is currently on pace to finish with 92, fourth-best all time in the UMKC record books.
She started with a flourish, nabbing eight in UMKC's contest against Oklahoma Panhandle State University. The mark, sparked by a first-half outburst of six steals, matched the single-game record for the Kangaroos. Jennifer Sposato's eight-steal contest against Buffalo still stands alone as the top mark, however, as exhibition contests don't count toward the record books. She fell just shy of the mark against Newman, swiping six against the Jets.
Half's Fine, Thanks...
UMKC's loss against Western Illinois marked just the second time all season that the halftime result didn't stand up, as the Kangaroos fell after leading by two going into the break. UMKC has been the halftime leader in six of its seven wins this season and has trailed in six of its seven losses. The only game to see the teams carry a tie into the intermission saw the Kangaroos come out on top, as UMKC downed Texas State after a 31-31 halftime tie.
Reaching For The Summit Of The Summit
One year removed from a season that saw UMKC dominate the league in blocked shots, the Kangaroos have slipped a bit but are still near the top of the league. UMKC averages 4.00 blocks per contest, good for second in the league behind newcomers North Dakota State. Oakland has registered six fewer blocks overall than the Kangaroos, but also hold a game in hand. IUPUI is fourth, with 3.43 blks/gm.
UMKC is also stingy with the three-ball, with its .300 success rate for opponents good for fourth-best in the league. Centenary holds down the top spot in that category with a .266 mark.
Individually, several players are among the top ten in the league, topped by Taushelle Rushing (#1t steals - 3.21/gm) and Sierra Radke (#2 FT % - .857). Radke is also among the assist leaders, with her 4.29 helpers per contest good for fourth. Chazny Morris ranks fourth in the league with a 17.4 pts/gm average, 10th on the rebounding charts with 6.6 per game and ninth on the steals list with 2.0. Alysa Klein rounds out the individual top performers for UMKC, holding down third spot in the blocks table with 1.71 per game and entering the top 10 scorers list at the no. 9 spot with 13.1 pts/gm.
All For The Best
Sierra Radke has gone the distance in three games for UMKC this season. She played all 40 minutes against Saint Louis, following it up with back-to-back full games - 45 minutes at Missouri and 40 at Northern Colorado. She set new career bests in all but two categories against Saint Louis, following that up with new career-best shooting, scoring and rebounding marks at Missouri.
Seeing Double
UMKC has two players who are averaging double figures for the Kangaroos this season, led by Chazny Morris' 17.4 points per game. The sophomore has scored in double figures in 11 of her 12 games so far this season, with her 30 points against Texas State marking the first time since Katie Houlehan's 35-point outing against Oakland on January 20, 2003 that a Kangaroo player has crested the 30-point plateau.
Seeing Double-double
Double-doubles have been tantalizingly close in several contests for the Kangaroos this season, so it wasn't surprising that UMKC's first game to see a double-double saw two. Sierra Radke (14 pts, 11 a) and Kalei Nance (10 pts, 10 reb.) both hit the milestone for UMKC, although Nance gets credit for the first. Nance pulled in her 10th board with 2:31 left in the game, while Radke's 10th assist came at the 1:32 mark.
In the regular season opener, Chazny Morris came up just two rebounds shy of the marker, grabbing eight boards to go with 24 points. She followed up that performance with another near miss in an 11-point, nine-rebound outing against Air Force. Alysa Klein also wound up just shy, scoring 15 and pulling down eight boards against Air Force. Klein once again fell short against South Alabama, needing just two more grabs to go with 27 points. Radke missed her second of the season, pulling down eight rebounds against Missouri. Klein fell just short of a more ignominious double-double against Missouri, scoring 14 points but coughing up the ball nine times on the afternoon.
In UMKC's exhibition contest against Oklahoma Panhandle State University, the Kangaroos had three players within reach of double-double marks on the night. Taushelle Rushing finished two steals shy of the double, dropping 10 points to go with her eight swipes on the afternoon. Krystal VanHook was also close, with her team-best 18 points and seven rebounds coming up just short as well. Heather Wimberly was the closest of the three, needing just one more dish to hit a double-double (10 pts, 9 a) on the day. She was also within reach of a triple-double, finishing with seven rebounds (3 o, 4 d) in the contest.
Season Double-doubles
Kalei Nance (10 pts, 10 reb) - vs. Saint Louis, 11/29/07
Sierra Radke (14 pts, 11 a) - vs. Saint Louis, 11/29/07
Winning Unselfishly
UMKC has also made a habit of being unselfish on offense this season, holding a 206-181 edge in assists thus far. The Kangaroos have finished eight games with more assists than their opponents, winning seven. The only contest to see the Kangaroos finish with more assists in a losing effort was a 69-55 loss to South Alabama.
In its seven wins on the season, UMKC has averaged 18.3 assists per contest, dishing just 11.1 per loss.
Dime Time... Again... And Again...
For the third time on the campaign, UMKC racked up more than 20 assists, dishing out helpers on 25 of 34 baskets on the night agaist Newman. The Kangaroos finished with 20 assists at Northern Colorado, after tallying 21 against Saint Louis. Only three of UMKC's buckets against the Bears came on solo efforts on the night - a tip-in by Marta Waalen and two jumpers by Chazny Morris. The Kangaroos converted five solo buckets against Saint Louis.
Helping Out Your Friends
Sierra Radke's 11-assist outing against Saint Louis was not just a career best for the senior, it marked the first time since the 2005-06 season that a Kangaroo dished out 10 assists or more in a single game. The previous double-digit dish night came against Oakland, as Jowan Ortega handed out 10 dimes in a 75-61 win on January 16, 2006. Ortega fell just shy of the double-double mark on the evening, however, finishing the night with eight points. The mark is also good for the second-best single-game outing in the league this season, behind Amanda Girodat's 12-point outing for North Dakota State against Wright State.
Inside Out?
Although she is a key inside threat for the Kangaroos, senior Alysa Klein can also hit the three ball when the opportunity presents itself. Klein is 3-5 from outside the arc in her career after swishing a pair of treys this season. She hit against South Alabama and at IPFW but her effort against Western Illinois was just slightly off the mark. The Okoboji, Iowa, native also drained her lone effort from distance during the 2006-07 season, hitting at Oakland on January 6.
Block Party
Just three games into the 2007-08 season, Alysa Klein followed up on her record-setting performance from last year by capturing the top spot on the career blocks list at UMKC. Klein passed Lauren Powers, recording her 145th career swat with 7:09 left in the second half at Kansas. The Okoboji, Iowa, native's career average of 1.6 blks/gm is the third best in program history, and projects to a final mark of 186. However, a double-century mark is not out of reach should the senior return to the pace she enjoyed on the 2006-07 season. She hit a slight hiccup against San Francisco and South Alabama, as she failed to record a block in back-to-back games for the first time in better than a year. The last time Klein was without a rejection in consecutive games was on January 21 and 23, 2006, as she failed to register a block at either IUPUI or Oral Roberts.
1. Alysa Klein 160 b 101 g 1.6
2. Lauren Powers 144 b 103 g 1.4
3. Joy Ommen 75 b 21 g 3.6
4. LaRonna Lassiter 63 b 103 g 0.6
5. Georgia Bivens 61 b 53 g 1.2
On The Glass
Alysa Klein needs just eight rebounds to surpass Lauren Powers on a third top-10 list at UMKC, as Klein currently holds down fifth place on the rebounding list. Klein moved into the slot at Kansas and has pulled down 593 rebounds on her career. Second place is still within reach for Klein, as she sits a mere 103 rebounds behind Stephanie Worthy's monstrous two-season mark of 696 boards.
1. Laurie Smith 864 r 123 g 7.0
2. Stephanie Worthy 696 r 67 g 10.4
3. Darci Haas 654 r 106 g 6.2
4. Lauren Powers 600 r 103 g 5.9
5. Alysa Klein 593 r 101 g 5.9
6. Mary Michalski 524 r 55 g 9.5
Making It Count
Klein moved up a notch in the top-10 field goals list as well against Western Illinois, surpassing Meredith Wilcox for seventh place all time. Klein has drained 402 buckets, leaving her just 16 shy of catching Darci Haas With her 27-point explosion against South Alabama, Alysa Klein moved into her third top-10 list at UMKC - career field-goal makes.
1. Penny Waggener 123 g 613 fg 5.0
2. Stephanie Worthy 67 g 540 fg 8.0
3. Julie Nill 85 g 497 fg 5.8
4. Katie Houlehan 115 g 490 fg 4.3
5. Laurie Smith 123 g 474 fg 3.9
6. Darci Haas 106 g 418 fg 3.9
7. Alysa Klein 101 g 402 fg 4.0
8. Meredith Wilcox 104 g 401 fg 3.9
9. Lauren Powers 103 g 379 fg 3.7
Reaching The Century Mark
Against Newman, Alysa Klein recorded her 100th appearance in Blue and Gold. She currently sits just outside the top 10 in career games and should become - barring injury - the Division I era leader for the Kangaroos at 117 games. Katie Houlehan currently holds that mark with 115 games, good for fourth overall. Four players from UMKC's NAIA tenure have each recorded 120 games or more, with Laurie Smith and Penny Waggener recording an amazing 123 games over a four-year span.
Wimberly Out
After starting the first six games of the season for UMKC, Heather Wimberly has missed the last eight games due to an injury.
Charitable Giving
UMKC has lost all five contests this season where its opponents have taken more trips to the free throw line.
Morris From Three
Chazny Morris set a freshman record last season, nailing 37 of 84 attempts from three-point range, a 44.0 percent mark, also good for the third-best all-time single-season mark, just three tenths of a percent behind Veda McNeal.
Morris has struggled from distance this season, slipping from the top five, but has increased her scoring average despite a falling shooting clip.
1. Eve Barry 28-61 .459
2. Broda Dickerson 31-73 .425
3. Julie Jenson 98-232 .422
4. Kelly Walden 95-243 .391
5. Veda McNeal 174-452 .385
Chazny Morris 58-165 .352
Debuting With Panache
Freshman Sarah Stewart made her collegiate debut against Kansas looking like anything but a true freshman. Entering the game with just under four minutes left in the first half, she scored eight points, hitting three of her first four shots. She finished the night with a team-best 14 points, adding two rebounds.
Seward County Connections
With her success as a player at Seward County (Kan.) Community College, it is only reasonable that head coach Candace White-Whitaker would look close to home on the recruiting trail. Senior Sierra Radke and junior Taushelle Rushing both come to the Kangaroos following successful careers with the Lady Saints.
Kangaroo Recruiting Class Ranked 38th In The Nation
UMKC's 2007 recruiting class was ranked the 38th-best in the nation by the Dan Olson Collegiate Girls Basketball Report. This is the first time that a UMKC women's basketball recruiting class has been recognized by a national publication.
Youth Is Served
Sophomore Chazny Morris made an immediate impact after winning a spot in the starting rotation a third of the way through the 2006-07 season. She finished the year averaging 8.9 pts/gm, good for third on the team and enough to earn a spot on the all-Newcomer team and win the 2007 Mid-Con Newcomer of the Year award - marking the second consecutive season that a Kangaroo laid claim to the honor. She finished with a .440 mark from beyond the arc, the best-ever single-season freshman (and third-best overall) mark in program history.
After capping her season with a 21-point performance against in the Mid-Con Tournament, Morris looks to grow into a leadership role as an underclassman this year for the Kangaroos.
Youth Is Served Again...
Currently the youngest head coach at the Division I level, Candace White-Whitaker is also one of the youngest head coaches in recent women's basketball history. At the time of her appointment as the interim head coach last year, White-Whitaker was just 26 years, 239 days old.
She comes from a strong background of young coaches, as her mentor at Valparaiso, Keith Freeman, made his entry into the profession at the tender age of 19. Freeman helmed the women's basketball team at Huntington (Ind.) College during the 1983-84 season.
Although impressive, White-Whitaker isn't even the youngest head coach at her own institution. That honor belongs to Meredith Smith, head softball coach, who was a mere 25 years, 166 days old at the time of her appointment.
UMKC has a history of taking a chance on young coaches, as no fewer than nine coaches have been appointed before their 30th birthday. Angela Garbe was the youngest, taking the reins of the women's tennis team in September 1991 at the age of 22 years, 264 days.
Summer Camp Dates Set
The UMKC women's basketball team has set the first series of dates for its 2008 summer camp schedule. The Kangaroos will host a three-day camp for individuals from June 9-11, 2008. The Lil' Joey and Kangaroo camps are designed for players in grades 1-5 and 6-8 respectively, and run from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The Elite camp, structured for high-school age players, runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
From June 12-14, the Kangaroos will host a team camp, open to teams at all levels. Contact associate head coach Brett Schneider at 816-235-1033 or via e-mail at schneiderbr@umkc.edu for more information or to register.
Texas Home Cooking
In addition to his local ties - he served as an assistant coach at the University of Missouri from 1998 to 2000 - associate head coach Brett Schneider claims the same hometown as head coach Candace White-Whitaker. A strong recruiter, Schneider has a strong family background in basketball, as his father Bob claimed over 1,000 victories over a 43-year career. His brother, Brandon, currently serves as head women's basketball coach for Emporia State University, while his sister, Brooke, was a letterwinner at West Texas A&M.
Klein, Morris Tabbed As Preseason All-Summit Stars
UMKC landed two players on all-conference teams during the preseason polling of coaches, media and sports information directors in The Summit League. Alysa Klein was tabbed as a first team honoree, while Chazny Morris was named to the second team.
The Kangaroos fell two spots in this year's preseason rankings, as they were predicted to finish seventh out of the league's 10 teams. Oral Roberts was again selected as the preseason favorite despite garnering only 10 first-place votes to 14 for debutantes South Dakota State University.
Kangaroos Add Two During Early Signing Period
UMKC head coach Candace White-Whitaker announced two additions to the Kangaroo roster for the 2008-09 season during the early signing period. Heather Davis and Mariah Davis (no relation) will both continue their playing careers and education at UMKC.
Heather Davis, a 5-7 guard from Muskogee, Okla., earned preseason second-team all-state honors from Oklahoma Tipoff magazine this year, following up on a second-team all-conference season as a junior.
Mariah Davis, a 6-0 forward from Hercules, Calif., averaged a double-double (13.5 pts, 10.4 reb) last season for Hercules High School, adding 94 blocks, 31 assists and 29 steals to pace her team to a second-place finish in the North Coast Section Division III tournament. Davis was tabbed as a first team all-league selection as well as earning all-tournament team honors at the River City Classic.
Kangaroos On The Web
New for the 2007-08 season, fans can now watch all of the action of UMKC women's basketball via Summit TV. All of UMKC's non-conference home games as well as every game of the inaugural season in The Summit League will stream live through the World Wide Web as part of the Summit TV package. For more information or to subscribe, visit www.thesummitleague.org and click on the “Summit TV” icon. A full-season package is just $49.95, with individual game purchases also available. As part of the full-season package, fans will also have access to “On-Demand” games, allowing fans to watch any game from the 2007-08 season. Listen to T.J. Jackson - the voice of the Kangaroos - as he brings you all of the action from courtside.
And Live Stats Too...
After some technical difficulties to start the season, UMKC is now able to offer live stat streaming for all home games. Check the schedule page at www. umkckangaroos.com for links to each game.
Reaching For New Heights
The 2007-08 season marks the first for The Summit League, formerly known as the Mid-Continent Conference. The name change is part of a larger initiative, called The Summit Plan, launched by the league's President's Council in June 2007. The initiative looks to improve the overall athletic image of the conference and bring a more intense focus to the overall welfare of the student-athletes at the member institutions.
In addition to the name change, the league welcomes three new schools to the mix for the 2007-08 season. IPFW, North Dakota State University and South Dakota State University join the conference to push its ranks to 10. Valparaiso, a founding member of the conference, departed for the Horizon League at the conclusion of the 2006-07 academic year.
