Kansas City
Southern Utah
`Roos Get First Summit League Win; Defeat Southern Utah, 73-66
1/8/2011 8:32:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Kansas City, Mo. -- The UMKC women's basketball team notched is first Summit League win on Saturday afternoon against Southern Utah, 73-66. The Kangaroos were led by LeAndrea Thomas with a season-high 18 points and Eilise O'Connor with 16 points. Kim Nezianya had nine rebounds in the game. The `Roos improve to 6-10 overall and 1-4 in The Summit League, while the Thunderbirds fall to 9-6 overall and 3-2 in league play.
The `Roos got off to a sluggish start in the opening minutes, as Southern Utah began the game with an 8-0 run. Kaycie Boyles finally got UMKC on the scoreboard in the 16th minute with a free throw. But the Thunderbirds would jump out to a 14-point lead just 12 minutes into the first half, putting together another 9-0 run.
Thomas got on the court for UMKC and the junior made a huge difference, scoring 11 points for the Kangaroos in the span of two minutes. The junior's 11 points cut the Thunderbird lead down to four points, 21-17, with 10 minutes left in the half.
The Kangaroos tied it up at 25-25 at the seven minute mark, following a pair of Dayon Hall-Jones free throws and would take a brief lead, following a Brianna Eldridge lay-up. Southern Utah would tie it up on two more occasions before UMKC would officially take over the lead for the remainder of the first half. The `Roos were able to head into the locker room up by four points, 39-35, thanks to a lay-up by Janee Williams.
UMKC would move ahead by 11 in the early minutes of the second half with a versatile offense, with Hill, Nezianya and Thomas all scoring. But Challis Pascucci would go to work for Southern Utah, scoring seven of its next nine field goals to cut UMKC's lead to four points with 10:53 left on the clock.
The `Roos would hold a slight edge over the Thunderbirds in the middle minutes of the second. With 6:15 left in the game, UMKC found itself ahead by two and then a three-pointer by Andrea Jones would regain the lead in the Thunderbird favor, 62-61.
Southern Utah jumped ahead by three points, 64-61, with 4:29 on the clock, following a Kaila Goff lay-up. But a Hailey Houser jumper and a lay-up by Nezianya would put UMKC back out ahead by one, 65-64, with 2:10 left in the game.
With time running out for Southern Utah, they were forced to foul, sending O'Connor and Hall-Jones to the line. O'Connor went four-for-four from the free throw line in the final minutes and Hall-Jones made both of her free throws to secure the win for UMKC.
The Kangaroos win over the Thunderbirds snapped a three-game losing streak. UMKC shot .418 from the line and .737 from the free throw line.
UMKC hits the road for a two-game series at Oral Roberts and Centenary. The Kangaroos will face the Golden Eagles on Jan. 15 at 2:05 p.m., and take on the Ladies on Jan. 17 at 7 p.m.
