Kansas City
Southern Utah
'Roos Pull Into A Tie For 7th In Summit League With 71-68 Win Over Southern Utah
2/5/2011 6:12:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Cedar City, Utah -- The UMKC women's basketball team (10-13, 5-7) picked up a hard fought 71-68 Summit League win over Southern Utah (11-12, 5-7) on Saturday evening at Centrum Arena. UMKC's bench was the difference in the game, as the 'Roo reserves out-scored the Thunderbird reserves 42-9.
Junior Dayon Hall-Jones led the UMKC scoring attack with 16 points off the bench, including knocking down 9-of-10 from the line, while freshman Eilise O'Connor finished with 14 points. Junior Jade Tinner and sophomore Kim Nezianya, meanwhile, were the only other 'Roos in double figures, scoring 12 points each.
The Thunderbirds opened up with the game's first two points and extended its lead to four at 6-2, before a matching 6-2 run by the 'Roos knotted the contest up at eight.
Southern Utah then retook the lead at 10-8, but a three from Hall-Jones on the ensuing possession gave UMKC their first lead of the game at 11-10 with 15:56 remaining in the half.
SUU quickly recaptured the lead at 12-11, and the two squads would continue to battle, before a 13-6 run by the Thunderbirds extended their lead to a first half-high eight at the 2:40 mark.
The 'Roos though, answered the Thunderbirds, closing out the half on an 8-0 run, including six points from O'Connor and four from Nezianya to tie the game at 33 heading into halftime.
Coming out the break, UMKC made it a 12-0 run and took a 37-33 lead in the contest on a pair of baskets from Ashli Hill.
Southern Utah then used a 7-2 run to recapture the lead at 40-39 with 17:44 left in the game.
The two teams then traded baskets before the 'Roos went on a 10-2 run over the next 4:15 to take a 51-44 lead with 12:01 to play.
A pair of O'Connor free throws extended the 'Roos lead to a game-high eight, but an 8-0 run by Southern Utah retied the game at 53 with 7:57 to go.
A three by Hall-Jones broke the tie, but four straight from the T-Birds put them back on top by one.
UMKC then answered the Southern Utah rally with six straight of their own to take a 62-57 lead with 5:40 left in the game.
SUU then pulled to within one at 62-61, but field goals from O'Connor and Nezianya and a pair of Hall-Jones free throws extended the UMKC lead back to seven with 2:45 remaining.
Four straight from the Thunderbirds cut the 'Roos lead to two, but a spinning jumper from Hall-Jones with 30 seconds on the clock put UMKC up 70-66.
Two free throws by Southern Utah sliced the lead back to two, but a Hall-Jones free throw extended the lead to three with 22 seconds left.
The 'Roos though would get the stop they needed on the defensive end and hang on for a 71-68 win at the Centrum Center.
In the game, UMKC dominated the glass in the second half, out-rebounding the Thunderbirds by eight in the half and 45-39 overall, with junior Brianna Eldridge collecting a team-high 11 rebounds. Defensively, seven different 'Roos recorded a block, with Hill swatting two.
The 'Roos will be back in action again on Thursday when they return to Kansas City and the Swinney Recreation Center on Feb. 12 to take on Centenary at 4 p.m.
