Kansas City
Houston Baptist
Kangaroos Hold On For 59-50 Win Over Houston Baptist
11/26/2010 11:34:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Houston, Texas -- The UMKC women's basketball team was able to hang on for a 59-50 win over Houston Baptist on Friday night. Dayon Hall-Jones led all players with 15 points, while Simone Bridges brought down a career-high nine rebounds. The Kangaroos improve to 3-2 on the season and Houston Baptist falls to 0-6.
UMKC will close out the Houston Baptist Tournament with Lamar tomorrow at 3 p.m.
Despite a sluggish first half, the `Roos were able to head into the locker room with a 27-25 lead over the Huskies. The Kangaroos led in the early minutes following the tip-off, but Houston Baptist would take over the lead at the 10:44 mark following a Joselyn Pugh jumper. A LeAndrea Thomas three-pointer would tie things up at 11-11, but the Huskies were able to string together a 7-0 run to jump back up ahead, 18-11.
Thomas drained another three with six minutes remaining, igniting a 3-for-3 stretch for UMKC from the three-point line. Hall-Jones sunk one from downtown to get the `Roos within two points (19-17) and Sam Sikkink pulled her squad ahead with the team's third straight three, 20-19.
The game would tie on two more occasions in the final four minutes of the first half, but a Peyton Adamson three-pointer and a Mariah Davis free throw would give UMKC a 27-23 edge with 16 seconds left. A late Houston Baptist lay-up would cut into the `Roos four-point halftime lead.
UMKC continued to stay two possessions ahead of Houston Baptist in the early minutes of the second half. Jade Tinner would score five straight points for the Kangaroos and Thomas hit a free throw at the 9:45 mark to pull ahead by 10 points, 41-31.
The Kangaroos led by as much as 14 points (51-37) in the later minutes of the second half and despite the Huskies attempts for a come back, UMKC would hold on for the win.
UMKC was out-shot from the field (.400-.315) and the free throw line (.333-.273), only slightly edging Houston Baptist in three's (.613-.611). The Kangaroos posted four more boards than the Huskies (39-35) and forced them to commit eight more turnovers, with Bridges recording three of the team's 11 steals.
Earlier on in the tournament, Lamar (4-1) defeated Portland (4-2), 76-66.
