Kansas City
Bakersfield
Bakersfield Snaps ?Roos Three Game Winning Streak In High Scoring Affair
2/21/2014 12:15:00 AM | Women's Basketball
(Bakersfield, Calif.) – The Kansas City women's basketball team (10-15, 6-6) fell 97-91 on Thursday night to Bakersfield (15-9, 8-3) at the Icardo Center despite a combined 54 points and 26 rebounds from seniors Eilise O'Connor and Kim Nezianya.
“I'm proud of our effort on the road,” Head Coach Marsha Frese said. “Bakersfield is a tremendous team with a lot of weapons. To win on the road, you have to really be dialed in and execute the game plan and tonight, a few lapses was enough to open the door for them. Our young kids are hungry to step up and do more in big games. I'm hopeful they will believe in themselves as much as we believe in them.”
O'Connor led the 'Roos with 31 points, her fifth 30 point outing of the season, with nine rebounds and six assists, while Nezianya finished with 23 points and 17 rebounds with 21 points and 15 rebounds coming in the second half.
Calli White, meanwhile, tallied 18 points as the freshman knocked down 5-of-6 from three-point range.
Bakersfield opened up with eight of the game's first nine points, but Taylor Leathers capped a 17-8 run by the 'Roos with a three to give UMKC its first lead of the game at 18-16.
Kansas City built its lead to a game-high seven on four separate occasion over the next seven minutes, but the Roadrunners would battle back to retake the lead late in the half 42-41.
The 'Roos, however, answered the rally, scoring six of the final eight points of the half.
Coming out of the break, UMKC stretched the lead back to six when White buried a three and maintained the advantage at the 17:17 mark with a 56-50 lead.
Seven straight by Bakersfield put them back in front for the third time, but Nezianya ended the rally with a put back for the 'Roos.
The two teams continued to fight back in forth over the next seven minutes that featured three lead changes and five ties and neither team building more than a three point advantage until Bakersfield built a 74-70 lead with 8:29 to go.
The Runners extended the lead to seven three minutes later, but a three by Leathers and a Nezianya free throw cut the lead to 83-80 with 4:35 left to play.
CSUB responded, stretching the cushion back to eight, but another Kansas City run brought the 'Roos to within three at 90-87 with just over a minute left to play.
Bakersfield, though, scored the next five points before coming away with the 97-91 victory.
As a team, the 'Roos out-rebounded CSUB 47-36 and recorded 19 assists, while shooting 45.5 percent from the field, including 7-of-11 from beyond the arc, and 82.8 percent from the free throw line.
The Blue & Gold will be back in action on Saturday when they head to Orem, Utah, to take on Utah Valley in WAC play at 4 p.m. CT.
