Kansas City
New Mexico State
O?Connor Sets WAC Free Throw Mark In Loss To Aggies
1/18/2014 9:44:00 PM | Women's Basketball
(Las Cruces, N.M.) – Senior Eilise O'Connor set a new WAC and UMKC record for free throws in a game, finishing 22-for-23 from the line as the Kansas City women's basketball team (6-12, 2-3) fell, 106-77 on Saturday night to New Mexico State (6-12, 3-2) in WAC play at the Pan American Center.
“I was trying to be aggressive tonight and do whatever it took to help our team win,” O'Connor said. “This road trip was a hard one, but the trademark of a tough team is how we choose to respond to adversity. I know my teammates and I want to win for each other. We will bounce back.”
The San Francisco, Calif., native breaks her own school record set last year with 17 against Fort Wayne, while topping TCU's Tricia Payne's mark of 20 in the WAC. The 22 made free throws are the most in the NCAA this season and are one shy of the NCAA record. Overall, O'Connor set a new career-high with 35 points, while matching her career-high with 12 rebounds and passing Penny Waggener for second place on the UMKC career scoring list.
Kim Nezianya, meanwhile, recorded her second straight double-double and seventh of the season, scoring 10 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, while Calli White was the only other 'Roos in double figures with 12 points.
In the opening half, UMKC took an early 6-5 lead, scoring six straight on a layup from Nezianya and two free throws and a jumper from O'Connor, but New Mexico State quickly retook the lead and built it to seven at 15-8 with 13:36 on the clock.
The Aggies would go on to build a first half-high lead of 16, before taking a 51-37 lead into the locker room.
At the break, O'Connor finished the half 16-for-16 from the stripe, breaking her own school record for free throws in a half.
Coming out of halftime, NMSU stretched the lead to 18 at 57-39, but an 11-4 run by UMKC, capped by a three point play by O'Connor that tied her school free throw record, brought the 'Roos to within 11 with 15 minutes left to play.
The 'Roos, however, would get no closer and New Mexico State would extend their lead to as many as 30 in the contest before coming away with the 106-77 victory, while O'Connor would set the WAC free throw mark at the 2:57 point of the game before splitting a pair of free throws with 2:16 on the clock to fall one short of the NCAA record.
On the glass, UMKC out-rebounded the Aggies 50-45 and out-scored them 14-8 off the bench.
The Blue & Gold will be back in action again on Thursday when they return to Kansas City to host WAC foe Utah Valley at 7 p.m. in the Swinney Recreation Center.
