Kansas City
Oral Roberts
Hall-Jones Sends `Roos Past Summit League Leader Oral Roberts, 81-77
2/14/2011 11:36:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Kansas City, Mo. -- The UMKC women's basketball team played its way to a 81-77 victory over Oral Roberts on Valentine's Day. The Kangaroos improve to 12-13 overall and 7-7 in The Summit League, while the Golden Eagles drop to 17-9 overall and suffer just their second Summit League loss, putting them at 13-2. Junior Dayon Hall-Jones led the `Roos with 16 points, while Kaycie Boyles had a season-high 13 points and Eilise O'Connor finished with 10. Kim Nezianya brought down a career-high 13 rebounds and LeAndrea Thomas finished with six assists.
The win over Oral Roberts is the first for the UMKC women's program since Jan. 23, 2006, when then-head coach Bo Overton handed the Golden Eagles a 73-62 loss in Tulsa, Okla. Tonight's victory was also a career-first win over Oral Roberts for head coach Candace Whitaker.
The Kangaroos got out to a great start in the first half and quickly moved ahead, 11-4, just four minutes into the game following a Boyles three-pointer. Just one possession later the `Roos would move in front by seven points, following another three but this time from Thomas, and then take an 11-point lead with a jum
per by O'Connor. UMKC was able to hold the typically explosive Oral Roberts offense to just six points in the first six minutes of play. The middle minutes were not as kind to UMKC, as the Golden Eagles were able to string together a 16-4 run to get right back into the game. Christian Key got the Golden Eagles within two points, 20-18, and on Oral Roberts following possession, Kevi Luper drained a three-pointer to give the Golden Eagles their first lead of the night, 21-20, with 9:47 left in the half.
Oral Roberts would not hold the lead for long, as UMKC senior Sam Sikkink stepped in and answered with a three of her own to put the lead back in the `Roos favor, 23-21. The game would tie three more times before the half was over and another Luper three would put Oral Roberts ahead by one point, 38-37, with 1:33 on the clock.
Hall-Jones was able to finish a lay-up and a good free throw from Nezianya would send UMKC into the locker room with a 40-38 lead. The second half was a back-and-forth battle, with Hall-Jones notching 12 of her 16 points in the second half.
UMKC would retain a slight lead in the opening minutes of the second half, but the Golden Eagles would move out ahead by one point, 48-47, at the 15:50 mark after another Luper three-pointer. But Hall-Jones would start up a 6-0 run for UMKC, draining a three of her own, and just like that UMKC moved ahead by six points, 54-48, with 13 minutes remaining.
The `Roos were able to retain a three-six point lead in the middle minutes of the second half, but the Golden Eagles take over the lead following a 7-3 run with five minutes left in the game.
The pair would battle back-and-forth for the advantage, tying things up four more times in the final four minutes of play. UMKC held a three-point edge with 2:22 on the clock, but a Jordan Pyle jumper and a pair of Luper free throws moved the Golden Eagles ahead by one, 75-74, with 1:46 left. Boyles again tied things up and moved the `Roos ahead by one with a pair of free throws, but another field goal from Pyle put Oral Roberts back out in front with 1:30 left in the game.
With 55 seconds left in the game, freshman Ashli Hill hit a jumper to move UMKC out ahead by one, 78-77 and the `Roos just needed a stop. UMKC was able to force an Oral Roberts turnover on its next possession, leaving them with 47 seconds left on the clock. The Kangaroos took their time bringing the ball up the floor and moved the ball around using up as much time as possible.
Finally with 26 seconds left on the clock and the shot clock about to expire, Hall-Jones drained a three to move UMKC ahead by four points, 81-77. While Oral Roberts still had time left to run one play, it wouldn't matter, as the UMKC defense held strong and forced the Golden Eagles to take a bad shot but it wasn't over yet as Oral Roberts would get the offensive board with nine seconds left in regulation and again another chance for one more play. But Brianna Eldridge would spoil the Golden Eagles plan and steal the ball from Priscila Cergol to secure the win. Despite being out-boarded by the Golden Eagles, 54-45, UMKC would shoot over .710 percent from the free throw line and relied on a .410 first half field goal percentage to come out on top.
Tonight's win over Oral Roberts keeps the `Roos tied with Southern Utah at the No. six and seven spots in The Summit League standings, as both teams hold a league record of 7-7. If the Kangaroos remain tied with the Thunderbirds following the regular season, then UMKC beats out Southern Utah in head-to-head competition. Five teams have now clinched Summit League Championship spots, as North Dakota State and South Dakota State join Oral Roberts, IPFW and Oakland.
UMKC hits the road this weekend for its last regular season road trip, taking on IUPUI and Western Illinois.
