UMKC Heads To Las Cruces For WAC Showdown With Aggies
1/17/2014 5:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Site: Las Cruces, N.M./Pan American Center
Television: none
Live Online Video: NMStateSports.com (Subscription)
Radio: 102.9 FM – TJ Jackson (p-b-p)
Live Online Audio: NMStateSports.com (Free)
Twitter: @TheUMKCKangaroos
The Game
The Kansas City women's basketball team (6-11, 2-2) will continue its two game WAC road swing when it heads to Las Cruces, N.M., to take on New Mexico State (5-12, 2-2) on Saturday. Tip-off between the 'Roos and the Aggies is slated for 7 p.m. CT on Jan. 18.
The Opponent
New Mexico State enters the contest with a 5-12 record overall and a 2-2 mark in WAC play after knocking off Chicago State on Thursday. Danesia Williamson leads the Aggies offense at 17.9 points, while Sasha Weber (11.2), Elena Holguin (11.0) and Vanessa Garner (10.8) are all averaging double figures. September Offutt, meanwhile, is grabbing a team-high 7.3 rebounds, to go along with 9.1 points.
The Series
The series between the 'Roos and the Aggies is tied at two. Last season, NMSU won 75-50, while the previous season, UMKC won 68-57.
New Mexico State
Series: Series tied 2-2.
Home: 1-0
Away: 0-1
Neutral: 1-1
Last Meeting: New Mexico State won 75-50 on Dec. 21, 2012 in Las Cruces.
New Mexico State (2-2)
N26, 1988 (N) L, 58-61 Agler
N25, 2005 (N) W, 89-55 Overton
J4, 2012 (H) W, 68-57 Whitaker
D21, 2012 (A) L, 50-75 Frese
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.
Mark Trakh enters his third season at the helm of the NM State women's basketball program. Coming off a successful 2012-13 season, Trakh notched his 300th career victory as a Division I head coach while leading the Aggies. The milestone came off a 70-68 win over Southern Utah (12/1) in Cedar City, Utah. Entering the 2013-14 season, Trakh has guided the Aggies to 20 wins in two seasons and holds 309 victories as a head coach.
The Venue
New Mexico State University is home to one of the finest arenas in all of the southwest in the Pan American Center. The Pan Am has been home to the men's and women's basketball teams and the NMSU volleyball team for three decades or more and it has hosted thousands of other events. Recently, the Pan American Center hosted the 2007 WAC Basketball Championships and the 2007 WAC Volleyball Championships
Last Time Out
Seniors Kim Nezianya and Eilise O'Connor combined for 38 of the 'Roos 50 points, with each netting 19, as the Kansas City women's basketball team (6-11, 2-2) fell 65-50 on Thursday night to Texas – Pan American (8-9, 2-2) at the UTPA Fieldhouse.
Nezianya matched her career-high with 17 of the UMKC's 44 rebounds, while Grace Mitchell grabbed seven and O'Connor, Hailey Houser and Taylor Leathers each nabbed four. Offensively, Calli White (5), Leathers (5) and Mitchell (2) were the only other 'Roos to score, while on the defensive end, Kansas City limited the Broncs to 36.8 percent shooting from the field, including 25.0 percent from beyond the arc.
