Kansas City
IPFW
Kangaroos Drop Mastodons At Home, 80-71
2/26/2011 7:06:00 PM | Women's Basketball
O'Connor led all players with 22 points, while Boyles finished with a double-double at 21 points and 10 rebounds and Hailey Houser contributed 10 points.
IPFW got off to a fast start and quickly took a six-point lead, 8-2, following a Sydney Weinert lay-up. The Kangaroos tied the ball game on two more occasions before taking over the lead for the remainder of the first half, following an O'Connor jumper with 6:50 left. Boyles led an 8-4 run to close out the half for the `Roos, scoring six of their last eight points, to take a 36-30 lead into the locker room.
The Kangaroos and the Mastodons would battle it out in the second half, with neither team able to hold the lead for long. The pair would play to six more ties with five minutes left in the game.
With five minutes remaining, Simone Bridges drained a pair of free throws to put the `Roos up by two points, 64-62. IPFW would answer back with a free throw of its own to cut the lead to one, but a Mastodon foul on LeAndrea Thomas would send her to the line. Thomas would sink her two free throws and put UMKC back out in front by three points, 66-63.
Anne Boese would step up and drain a three-pointer, she would finish 6-of-8 from the perimeter, tying the game 66-66 with 4:44 left in the game.
The biggest turn around happened in the final two minutes of play, when O'Connor finished a wide open lay-up off of an in-bounds pass, giving the `Roos a three-point lead, 70-67. IPFW had several missed opportunities late and was forced to foul the Kangaroos. UMKC would go 10-for-10 from the free throw line in the final minute of play to avenge its loss to IPFW back in December.
In the second half, the Kangaroos finished 20-of-21 from the free throw line, with Boyles, Thomas, O'Connor, Sam Sikkink, Houser and Bridges all staying poised and perfect at the line.
UMKC will close out the regular season on Monday night with Oakland. Monday night's match up will serve as senior night, with head coach Candace Whitaker and the `Roos honoring Sam Sikkink and Janee Williams.
