Kansas City
Western Illinois
`Roos Hold On For 58-51 Win Over Western Illinois
1/22/2011 8:08:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Kansas City, Mo. -- The UMKC women's basketball team recorded a 58-51 win over Western Illinois on Saturday afternoon. The Kangaroos were led by Jade Tinner with 14 points and freshmen Ashli Hill and Eilise O'Connor with 12 points, while junior Brianna Eldridge led with eight rebounds. The `Roos improve to 8-11 overall and 3-5 in The Summit League, while the Fighting Leathernecks fall to 5-13 overall and 3-5 in league play.
The Kangaroos got off to another fast-paced start in the opening minutes of the first half. Mariah Davis would hit a pair of free throws in the 16th minute and that would start a 13-0 run for UMKC. The `Roos would hold a 16-point lead at the 12:59 mark thanks to a Kaycie Boyles three.
Western Illinois would finally get a fifth-point up on the scoreboard in the ninth minute, following an Erica Lewis free throw. The Fighting Leathernecks would start off extremely cold in the first half from the field, missing 14 of their first 15 shots, and shooting 15.4 percent for the half.
The `Roos were able to space out the scoring in the first half and headed into the locker room with a 14-point advantage, 31-17.
UMKC's first half efforts would prove to be important, as Western Illinois pieced together a better second half, out-scoring the `Roos 34-27.
The Fighting Leathernecks got it under 10 points, 43-35, with 9:39 left in the game, following a Michele Salvatori lay-up. A pair of Sadie Webb free throws would cut the UMKC lead to six, 43-37, just a minute later. But O'Connor would keep the lead in the `Roos favor with a lay-up of her own with seven minutes left in the game. The freshman would record 9-of-her-12 points in the second half.
The Kangaroos would jump back out ahead by 11, 53-42, with less than three minutes on the clock thanks to a pair of Eldridge free throws and a jumper by O'Connor. The Fighting Leathernecks would just run out of time in the end and the `Roos were able to secure their third Summit League win.
UMKC is back in action on Monday night against IUPUI inside Swinney Recreation Center at 7 p.m.
