`Roos Take On No. 2 Seeded IPFW In Sioux Falls On Saturday
3/4/2011 9:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Kansas City, Mo. -- The UMKC women's basketball team will face No. 2 seeded IPFW in The Summit League Women's Basketball Championships on Saturday in Sioux Falls, S.D., at 2:30 p.m. The Kangaroos finished the season at the No. 7 seed with a 9-9 Summit League record and a 14-15 overall record. The Kangaroos are coming off of a 63-61 loss to Oakland.
Eilise O'Connor was recently named to The Summit League all-newcomer squad.
The `Roos worked their way to a successful 2009-10 campaign that was highlighted by the program's first ever Division I postseason appearance. The `Roos took on Memphis in the inaugural Women' s Basketball Invitational.
Head coach Candace Whitaker is back for her fourth+ season and returning with her are four starters and 10 letterwinners from the 2009-10 record breaking squad. Whitaker welcomes back two seniors, six juniors and two sophomores. The Kangaroos will also welcome five newcomers, four freshmen and one sophomore, to the 2010-11 team.
Be A Part of the Action
Fans can listen LIVE to T.J. Jackson on 1510 AM from the Kangaroos match up with the Mastodons at The Summit League Championships. Live statistics and streaming can be accessed by going to www.thesummitleague.org.
IPFW Mastodons Preview
IPFW will be a familiar opponent for UMKC, as they just finished playing each other inside Swinney Recreation Center on Feb. 26. The Kangaroos prevailed with a 80-71 victory. UMKC was led by Eilise O'Connor with a career-high 22 points and a career-first double-double by Kaycie Boyles with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Hailey Houser also contributed a career-high 10 points.
The `Roos did split the regular season series with the `Dons this season, falling at their place, 60-58, back in December. In the loss, Dayon Hall-Jones finished with 16 points, while LeAndrea Thomas contributed 11 points. Kim Nezianya brought down 11 rebounds.
IPFW closed out the regular season with a 19-9 overall record and a 13-5 Summit League record to claim the No. 2 seed in the tournament. The Mastodons have four players averaging double digits and are led by Stephanie Rosado with 16.5 points per game. Anne Boese is at 11.7 points, Kayla Drake is averaging 11.5 and Jordan Zuppe is averaging 10.4 points per game. The Mastodons closed out the regular season with a 90-68 win at Southern Utah.
Series Record
UMKC is 4-4 against IPFW all-time. This season, the pair split in the regular season. But during the 2009-10 campaign, head coach Candace Whitaker led the `Roos to a 2-0 regular season finish against the Mastodons. This will be the first meeting for the pair in The Summit League Championships.
UMKC in The Summit League Championships
The Kangaroos possess a 5-15 all-time record in The Summit League Championships and coach Whitaker holds two of those wins in just her fourth + season as head coach.
Whitaker Embraces No. 7 Challenge
Being the No. 7 seed for head coach Candace Whitaker is no new challenge, as the `Roos were in a similar situation in the 2008 tournament. Whitaker led her young squad to a 62-55 win over then No. 2 seeded Western Illinois.
Whitaker has had a taste twice now of the semi-final game, making it past the first round in 2008 and in 2010. UMKC knocked off NDSU in overtime last season, 76-75, but came up short against Oral Roberts, the Summit League Regular Season Champions, 77-71.
UMKC Tournament Records Broken at 2010 Summit League Championships
The Kangaroos were able to break a slew of school records following last year's tournament experience. UMKC broke team records for most points scored (76), field goals made (28), field goals attempted (20), field goal percentage (.509), free throws made (17) and rebounds (52). The Kangaroos also tied the team three-point field goals made.
Chazny Morris tied the league tournament record with seven made three's and broke the school's record with 30 total points. LeAndrea Thomas tied the school record with eight assists and is the new tournament school record holder with 10 free throws made and 11 attempted.
Summit League Championships Televised
The 2011 Summit League Women's Basketball Championships will be televised for the semi-finals and finals. The semi-finals will be aired on ESPN Full Court and the final set for Tuesday will be shown on ESPNU. The Kangaroos posted a 3-1 record this season when their games were aired on KSMO.
Summit League Standings
Final Standings/Preseason Poll Predictions
1. Oral Roberts (16-2, 20-9)/1st (26 first-place votes), 438 pts.
2. IPFW (13-5, 19-9)/4th, 285 pts.
3. South Dakota State (12-6, 16-13)/2nd (4 first place votes), 393 pts.
4. Oakland (12-6, 18-11)/3rd, 336 pts.
5. Southern Utah (10-8, 16-13)/7th, 162 pts.
6. North Dakota State (9-9, 13-15)/5th, 274 pts.
7. UMKC (9-9, 14-15)/6th, 253 pts.
8. Western Illinois (6-12, 8-20)/7th, 162 pts.
9. IUPUI (2-16, 4-24)/9th, 99 pts.
10. Centenary (1-17, 1-24)/10th, 48 pts.
Guards Leading the Way
Dayon Hall-Jones and Eilise O'Connor are both tied, averaging 9.8 points per game overall this season. O'Connor is leading the Kangaroos in Summit League play only, with 11.8 points per contest. Hall-Jones tied her career-high against IUPUI with 21 points. The junior has scored 20 points twice this season.
O'Connor has landed in double figures in 14 games this year and scored a career-high 22 points on two occasions, Dec. 29 against the Bison and Feb. 26 against the Mastodons.
Brianna Eldridge is averaging 5.5 boards per contest overall and 5.9 in league play. Eldridge finished with a career-high 13 rebounds against North Dakota State on Dec. 29, and another 13 rebounds against IUPUI on Jan. 24. Meanwhile, Kim Nezianya has stepped it up in league play and is averaging 6.4 boards a game. Nezianya has brought 10 rebounds or more in six games.
Sophomores Double Up
Sophomores Kaycie Boyles and Kim Nezianya have really stepped things up over the last month of league play. Boyles recorded her first career double-double on Feb. 26 in the 80-71 win over IPFW. She finished with a career-high 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Nezianya recorded her third double-double of the season against Oakland, with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Nezianya has also recorded double-doubles against Missouri and Texas-Arlington this season.
The Carrollton, Texas, native recorded three double-doubles last season as a freshman. Nezianya finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds on March 8 against Oral Roberts in The Summit League Tournament.
O'Connor In UMKC Record Books
Eilise O'Connor has been a consistent factor for the `Roos this season and her name is all over the UMKC freshman top-10 records. O'Connor is tied for first in free throws made (76), fourth in free throws attempted (99) and seventh in free throw percentage (.768). The freshman is looking to surpass Amy Thompson's record in free throws made at 76 and free throws attempted at 119. Her cousin Katie Houlehan holds the top freshman free throw percentage at .886.
The San Francisco, Calif., native ranks eighth in scoring on the freshman top-10 list. O'Connor has scored 284 points so far this season, averaging 9.8. Houlehan has the top freshman scoring record with 351 points in her 2001-02 freshman year.
O'Connor is also fifth in assists, with 81 on the year, and third in steals, with 39. Erin Jones recorded 115 assists in her freshman campaign during the 1994-95 season and Dorota Gburczyk finished with 47 steals as a freshman in 1999-2000.
`Roos In The Summit League
UMKC has been focused at the free throw line in the past month and they now hold the top free throw percentage in Summit League action at .760 percent (253-333). The `Roos also still remain on top in rebounding margin (+5.8) and offensive rebounds (15.4 average). The Kangaroos lead the league statistics in team blocking with 4.8 blocks per game.
Hill Chasing Klein's Single-Season Block Record
Ashli Hill has 70 blocks this season and is just seven blocks short of UMKC's single-season block record. The current school record is held by Alysa Klein. During the 2007-08 season, Klein recorded 77 blocks in 31 games, averaging 2.5 blocks per game. The Lawrence, Kan., native is currently fourth in the record books for blocks in a single season.
Hill is sitting third in The Summit League statistics, averaging 2.4 blocks per contest.
Eilise O'Connor was recently named to The Summit League all-newcomer squad.
The `Roos worked their way to a successful 2009-10 campaign that was highlighted by the program's first ever Division I postseason appearance. The `Roos took on Memphis in the inaugural Women' s Basketball Invitational.
Head coach Candace Whitaker is back for her fourth+ season and returning with her are four starters and 10 letterwinners from the 2009-10 record breaking squad. Whitaker welcomes back two seniors, six juniors and two sophomores. The Kangaroos will also welcome five newcomers, four freshmen and one sophomore, to the 2010-11 team.
Be A Part of the Action
Fans can listen LIVE to T.J. Jackson on 1510 AM from the Kangaroos match up with the Mastodons at The Summit League Championships. Live statistics and streaming can be accessed by going to www.thesummitleague.org.
IPFW Mastodons Preview
IPFW will be a familiar opponent for UMKC, as they just finished playing each other inside Swinney Recreation Center on Feb. 26. The Kangaroos prevailed with a 80-71 victory. UMKC was led by Eilise O'Connor with a career-high 22 points and a career-first double-double by Kaycie Boyles with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Hailey Houser also contributed a career-high 10 points.
The `Roos did split the regular season series with the `Dons this season, falling at their place, 60-58, back in December. In the loss, Dayon Hall-Jones finished with 16 points, while LeAndrea Thomas contributed 11 points. Kim Nezianya brought down 11 rebounds.
IPFW closed out the regular season with a 19-9 overall record and a 13-5 Summit League record to claim the No. 2 seed in the tournament. The Mastodons have four players averaging double digits and are led by Stephanie Rosado with 16.5 points per game. Anne Boese is at 11.7 points, Kayla Drake is averaging 11.5 and Jordan Zuppe is averaging 10.4 points per game. The Mastodons closed out the regular season with a 90-68 win at Southern Utah.
Series Record
UMKC is 4-4 against IPFW all-time. This season, the pair split in the regular season. But during the 2009-10 campaign, head coach Candace Whitaker led the `Roos to a 2-0 regular season finish against the Mastodons. This will be the first meeting for the pair in The Summit League Championships.
UMKC in The Summit League Championships
The Kangaroos possess a 5-15 all-time record in The Summit League Championships and coach Whitaker holds two of those wins in just her fourth + season as head coach.
Whitaker Embraces No. 7 Challenge
Being the No. 7 seed for head coach Candace Whitaker is no new challenge, as the `Roos were in a similar situation in the 2008 tournament. Whitaker led her young squad to a 62-55 win over then No. 2 seeded Western Illinois.
Whitaker has had a taste twice now of the semi-final game, making it past the first round in 2008 and in 2010. UMKC knocked off NDSU in overtime last season, 76-75, but came up short against Oral Roberts, the Summit League Regular Season Champions, 77-71.
UMKC Tournament Records Broken at 2010 Summit League Championships
The Kangaroos were able to break a slew of school records following last year's tournament experience. UMKC broke team records for most points scored (76), field goals made (28), field goals attempted (20), field goal percentage (.509), free throws made (17) and rebounds (52). The Kangaroos also tied the team three-point field goals made.
Chazny Morris tied the league tournament record with seven made three's and broke the school's record with 30 total points. LeAndrea Thomas tied the school record with eight assists and is the new tournament school record holder with 10 free throws made and 11 attempted.
Summit League Championships Televised
The 2011 Summit League Women's Basketball Championships will be televised for the semi-finals and finals. The semi-finals will be aired on ESPN Full Court and the final set for Tuesday will be shown on ESPNU. The Kangaroos posted a 3-1 record this season when their games were aired on KSMO.
Summit League Standings
Final Standings/Preseason Poll Predictions
1. Oral Roberts (16-2, 20-9)/1st (26 first-place votes), 438 pts.
2. IPFW (13-5, 19-9)/4th, 285 pts.
3. South Dakota State (12-6, 16-13)/2nd (4 first place votes), 393 pts.
4. Oakland (12-6, 18-11)/3rd, 336 pts.
5. Southern Utah (10-8, 16-13)/7th, 162 pts.
6. North Dakota State (9-9, 13-15)/5th, 274 pts.
7. UMKC (9-9, 14-15)/6th, 253 pts.
8. Western Illinois (6-12, 8-20)/7th, 162 pts.
9. IUPUI (2-16, 4-24)/9th, 99 pts.
10. Centenary (1-17, 1-24)/10th, 48 pts.
Guards Leading the Way
Dayon Hall-Jones and Eilise O'Connor are both tied, averaging 9.8 points per game overall this season. O'Connor is leading the Kangaroos in Summit League play only, with 11.8 points per contest. Hall-Jones tied her career-high against IUPUI with 21 points. The junior has scored 20 points twice this season.
O'Connor has landed in double figures in 14 games this year and scored a career-high 22 points on two occasions, Dec. 29 against the Bison and Feb. 26 against the Mastodons.
Brianna Eldridge is averaging 5.5 boards per contest overall and 5.9 in league play. Eldridge finished with a career-high 13 rebounds against North Dakota State on Dec. 29, and another 13 rebounds against IUPUI on Jan. 24. Meanwhile, Kim Nezianya has stepped it up in league play and is averaging 6.4 boards a game. Nezianya has brought 10 rebounds or more in six games.
Sophomores Double Up
Sophomores Kaycie Boyles and Kim Nezianya have really stepped things up over the last month of league play. Boyles recorded her first career double-double on Feb. 26 in the 80-71 win over IPFW. She finished with a career-high 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Nezianya recorded her third double-double of the season against Oakland, with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Nezianya has also recorded double-doubles against Missouri and Texas-Arlington this season.
The Carrollton, Texas, native recorded three double-doubles last season as a freshman. Nezianya finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds on March 8 against Oral Roberts in The Summit League Tournament.
O'Connor In UMKC Record Books
Eilise O'Connor has been a consistent factor for the `Roos this season and her name is all over the UMKC freshman top-10 records. O'Connor is tied for first in free throws made (76), fourth in free throws attempted (99) and seventh in free throw percentage (.768). The freshman is looking to surpass Amy Thompson's record in free throws made at 76 and free throws attempted at 119. Her cousin Katie Houlehan holds the top freshman free throw percentage at .886.
The San Francisco, Calif., native ranks eighth in scoring on the freshman top-10 list. O'Connor has scored 284 points so far this season, averaging 9.8. Houlehan has the top freshman scoring record with 351 points in her 2001-02 freshman year.
O'Connor is also fifth in assists, with 81 on the year, and third in steals, with 39. Erin Jones recorded 115 assists in her freshman campaign during the 1994-95 season and Dorota Gburczyk finished with 47 steals as a freshman in 1999-2000.
`Roos In The Summit League
UMKC has been focused at the free throw line in the past month and they now hold the top free throw percentage in Summit League action at .760 percent (253-333). The `Roos also still remain on top in rebounding margin (+5.8) and offensive rebounds (15.4 average). The Kangaroos lead the league statistics in team blocking with 4.8 blocks per game.
Hill Chasing Klein's Single-Season Block Record
Ashli Hill has 70 blocks this season and is just seven blocks short of UMKC's single-season block record. The current school record is held by Alysa Klein. During the 2007-08 season, Klein recorded 77 blocks in 31 games, averaging 2.5 blocks per game. The Lawrence, Kan., native is currently fourth in the record books for blocks in a single season.
Hill is sitting third in The Summit League statistics, averaging 2.4 blocks per contest.
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