Kangaroos Head To Phoenix For Showdown With Lopes
1/31/2014 11:05:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Date/Time: February 1, 2014 – 3 p.m. – Grand Canyon
Site: Phoenix, Ariz./Antelope Gymnasium
Television: none
Live Online Video: GCULopes.com
Radio: 1510 AM – TJ Jackson (p-b-p)
Live Online Audio: 1510.com (Free) - TJ Jackson (p-b-p)
Twitter: @TheUMKCKangaroos
The Game
The Kansas City women's basketball team (7-13, 3-4) will head to Phoenix, Ariz., on Saturday to continue WAC play against Grand Canyon (14-6, 3-4). Tip-off between the 'Roos and the Lopes is slated for 3 p.m. on Feb. 1 at Antelope Gymnasium.
The Opponent
Grand Canyon enters the week with a 14-6 record overall and a 3-4 mark in WAC play, picking up wins over Bakersfield, Utah Valley and Chicago State. Kaitlyn Petersen leads the Lopes at 15.4 points, while Judy Jones (13.5), Deanna Daniels (12.5) and Johnna Brown (10.9) are each averaging double digits. On the glass, Jones leads the squad with 8.5 rebounds, with Brown chipping in 7.9. As a team, GCU is out-scoring opponents 70.6 to 60.1, while limiting opponents to 39.2 percent shooting from the field, including 28.8 percent from three-point range.
The Series
This will be the first meeting between the 'Roos and the Lopes. Against schools from Arizona, UMKC holds a 1-1 record against Northern Arizona.
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.
Trent May is in his seventh season as head coach of the Grand Canyon University women's basketball team and is the program's all-time winningest coach. He has guided two schools, GCU and Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas, to the best single-season records in their histories.
The Venue
Antelope Gymnasium opened in 1994 and hosts all of Grand Canyon University's NCAA contests in women's basketball. The on-campus facility is a school color-coordinated purple and black 2,000-seat capacity venue, and it is a part of a larger facility that encompasses the old Antelope Gymnasium. The Antelopes have been fortunate to display their share of banners in Antelope Gymnasium, remembering national- and league-championship seasons.
Last Time Out
Senior Eilise O'Connor finished with 31 points on a career-high 11 made baskets, including 3-of-3 from beyond the arc in the Kansas City women's basketball team's (7-13, 3-4) 87-80 loss to WAC foe Bakersfield (10-8, 4-2) on Saturday afternoon at the Swinney Recreation Center.
Senior Kim Nezianya added 17 points and eight rebounds, while sophomore Kelsey Barnwell added 10 points and five rebounds. Offensively, the 'Roos knocked down 8-of-15 from three-point range for a season-high 53.3 percent.
O'Connor Named To 2013-14 CoSIDA Academic All-District 6 Team
Senior Eilise O'Connor was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 6 Team for her efforts on and off the court. On the court, O'Connor's name is littered throughout the record book, while off the court, the San Francisco native holds a 3.99 GPA in Health Sciences.
Games Played List
Senior Kim Nezianya is climbing the list of games played at UMKC, currently sitting in eighth place with 119 games played.
Closing in on the Top Spots
Seniors Kim Nezianya and Eilise O'Connor are each closing in on school records. Nezianya sits just 40 rebounds behind Laurie Smith and would need to average 4.0 rebounds over the remaining 10 games to eclipse the mark. O'Connor, meanwhile, trails Chazny Morris by 242 points, leaving her with a 24.2 ppg pace to overtake the top spot, while she trails Penny Waggener by 66 assists with 6.6 per game needed for the record.
