Kansas City Opens WAC Road Play At Texas ? Pan American
1/15/2014 9:51:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Date/Time: January 16, 2013 – 2 p.m. – Chicago State
Site: Edinburg, Texas/UTPA Fieldhouse
Television: none
Live Online Video: UTPABroncs.com (Free)
Radio: 102.9 FM – TJ Jackson (p-b-p)
Live Online Audio: KCXL.com (Free) – TJ Jackson (p-b-p)
Live Stats: UTPABroncs.com (Free)
Twitter: @TheUMKCKangaroos
The Game
The Kansas City women's basketball team (6-10, 2-1) will hit the road for the first time in WAC play when it heads to Edinburg, Texas, to take on Texas - Pan American (7-9, 1-2) on Thursday. Tip-off between the 'Roos and the Broncs is slated for 7 p.m. at the UTPA Fieldhouse on Jan. 16.
The Opponent
Texas - Pan American enters the contest with a 7-9 record overall and a 1-2 mark in WAC play after knocking off Grand Canyon last week. Shawnte' Goff is the only Bronc averaging double figures at 11.1 ppg, while Brittany Bush is adding 8.5 ppg and 7.3 rpg. KaeLynn Boyd, meanwhile, is chipping in 9.1 ppg and 1.9 apg.
The Series
This will be the third meeting between the two school with the 'Roos leading 2-0.
Texas - Pan American
Series: Kansas City leads 2-0.
Home: 0-0
Away: 1-0
Neutral: 1-0
Last Meeting: Kansas City won 46-421 on Jan. 30, 1990 in Edinburg, Texas
Texas - Pan American (2-0)
D1, 1989 (N) W, 50-35 Agler
J30, 1990 (A) W, 46-42 Agler
The Coaches
Renowned for her top-notch recruiting classes, Marsha Frese enters her second season as head women's basketball coach at UMKC. Named as the Kangaroo head coach on April 25, 2012, Frese brings 16 seasons of experience as a Division-I player and coach to the UMKC campus.
On April 4, 2013 that Larry Tidwell, who had been the head coach at Lamar for the last six seasons, was named the new Broncs women's basketball head coach. Tidwell took over a Lamar team that hadn't had a winning record since 1994-95 and recorded a winning record every year, including four seasons of 20 or more wins and five seasons of 19 or more wins. He has reached double-figures in conference wins five times, always finishing at least .500.
The Venue
Built in 1969, UTPA completed a $600,000 renovation to UTPA Fieldhouse, including a new center court, telescopic and bench bleachers on home and visiting side, courtside seats, graphics plan, sponsorship signage and renovation to locker room hallways within UTPA Fieldhouse and conference room in 2011.
Last Time Out
The Kansas City women's basketball team (6-10, 2-1) shot a season-high 56.1 percent, including 64.0 percent in the first half, to take down Chicago State (3-13, 0-3), 83-60 on Saturday afternoon at Municipal Auditorium.
The 'Roos knocked down a season-high 32 field goals led by senior Eilise O'Connor who finished 9-of-13 from the field and a perfect 7-of-7 from the line for a game-high 25 points, while adding three rebounds, three assists and no turnovers. Grace Mitchell, meanwhile, notched her second double of the season, scoring in double figures for the fifth straight game, finishing with a career-high 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting, 11 rebounds, a block, a steal and an assists and zero turnovers.
The 'Roos starting forward duo of senior Kim Nezianya and sophomore Taylor Leathers each chipped in 10 points in the victory with Nezianya adding eight rebounds, a career-high tying five assists and two steals. The 23 point margin represents UMKC's largest victory of the season, while the 19 assists are also a season-high. On the glass, the 'Roos out-rebounded the Cougars 38 to 26.
Mitchell Coming on Strong
Over the first 11 games of the season, freshman Grace Mitchell averaged 4.7 points, 3.2 rebounds in 14.0 minutes of action. Over the last five games, however, Mitchell is at 11.4 points, 9.4 rebounds in 25.2 minutes, while increasing her assists, steals, blocks and free throw percentage and notching two double-doubles.
Double-Double Machine
This season, the 'Roos have produced 10 double-doubles with Kim Nezianya leading the way with six. Eilise O'Connor and Grace Mitchell, meanwhile, each have two, accounting for the other four.
Closing in on the Top Spots
Seniors Kim Nezianya and Eilise O'Connor are each closing in on school records. Nezianya sits just 92 rebounds behind Laurie Smith and would need to average 6.6 rebounds over the remaining 14 games to eclipse the mark. O'Connor, meanwhile, trails Chazny Morris by 376 points, leaving her with a 25.1 ppg pace to overtake the top spot, while she trails Penny Waggener by 84 assists with 5.8 per game needed for the record.
