Kansas City Looks For Conference Road Win At Utah Valley
2/21/2014 9:03:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Site: Orem, Utah/UCCU Center
Television: none
Live Online Video: WolverineGreen.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 (10-15, 6-6) will wrap-up its penultimate road trip of the season when it heads to Orem, Utah, on Saturday to take on Utah Valley (5-20, 2-10) in WAC play. The 'Roos and the Wolverines are slated for a 4 p.m. CT tip at the UCCU Center on Feb. 22.
The Opponent
Utah Valley enters the contest with a 5-20 mark overall and a 2-10 record in WAC play, picking up a win on Thursday over Chicago State. Katie Kuklok leads the Wolverines at 16.8 ppg, while Rhaiah Spooner-Knight (11.3) is also averaging double figures. On the glass, Karlee Kartchner leads the squad at 6.1 rpg, to go along with 6.2 ppg. As a team, UVU is shooting 35.2 percent from three-point range.
The Series
This will be the second meeting between the 'Roos and the Wolverines with UMKC winning earlier this season, 83-66 in Kansas City.
First Meeting
Senior Kim Nezianya scored a career-high 28 points and grabbed 15 rebound to lead the Kansas City women's basketball team (7-12, 3-2) to a Western Athletic Conference win on Thursday night over Utah Valley (3-15, 0-5) at the Swinney Recreation Center.
Classmate Eilise O'Connor narrowly missed a triple-double, scoring 24 points to go along with eight assists and eight rebounds in the victory. Calli White finished with nine points on 3-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc and three assists, while as a team, UMKC out-rebounded the Wolverines 41-32 and limited them to just 38.7 percent shooting, including 21.4 percent from long range.
Utah Valley
Series: Kansas City leads 1-0
Home: 1-0
Away: 0-0
Neutral: 0-0
Last Meeting: Kansas City won 83-66 on Jan. 23, 2014 in Kansas City.
Utah Valley (1-0)
J23, 2014 (H) W, 83-66 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.
Cathy Nixon is entering her 19th year as the head coach of Utah Valley women's basketball in 2013-14. During her tenure, Nixon's teams have consistently displayed hard work and character, on and off the court. Nixon spent the past 10 seasons of her coaching career ushering Utah Valley into NCAA Division I Athletics, and now she shifts those attentions to UVU's first season of WAC play.
Last Time Out
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.
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.
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.
O'Connor Named To 2013-14 CoSIDA Academic All-American
Senior Eilise O'Connor was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-American 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.
Nezianya Named WAC Player of the Week
Kansas City women's basketball senior Kim Nezianya was named WAC Player of the Week after leading the 'Roos to a 2-0 record with two home victories over New Mexico State and Texas-Pan American. Nezianya had 38 points, 21 rebounds and 16 made field goals against New Mexico State, all career-highs and WAC season-highs. The 38 points is the fifth most ever in a UMKC game and she became the first player in school history with a 30 point, 20 rebound performance. She followed up that historic performance with her 13th double-double of the season, scoring 26 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in the victory over UTPA. On the week, Nezianya averaged 32 points, 17.5 rebounds and shot 56.5 percent from the field and broke the UMKC record for career rebounds. Her 248 rebounds this season is currently 10th best in school history and she moved into seventh place on the UMKC career scoring list. Nezianya also was honored as WAC Player of the Week by College Sports Madness.
Turning Up the Heat
Over the last four games the 'Roos have picked up the pace offensively, averaging 88.5 ppg, producing their four highest point totals of the season and shooting over 50% in three of the contest. Against Chicago State, the 'Roos scored 84, against NMSU, 92, against UTPA, 87 and against Bakersfield 91.
Games Played List
Senior Kim Nezianya is climbing the list of games played at UMKC, currently sitting third place with 124 games played.
Double-Double Machine
This season, the 'Roos have produced 20 double-doubles with Kim Nezianya leading the way with 14. Eilise O'Connor has added four and Grace Mitchell has two, accounting for the other six.
Closing in on the Top Spots
Senior Eilise O'Connor is closing in on a pair of school records. O'Connor trails Chazny Morris by 131 points, leaving her with a 26.2 ppg pace to overtake the top spot, while she trails Penny Waggener by 43 assists with 8.6 per game needed for the record.
White from Deep
This season, freshman Calli White has made 58 three-point field goals, hitting them at 37.9 percent. Currently, her 58 made threes ranks second in school history as a freshman, just two off the record, while her percentage ranks third.
WAC Leaders
The 'Roos currently lead the WAC in three categories: three-point FG defense (.271), scoring offense (75.8) and free throw percentage (.775), while sitting second in 3-Pt. FG% (.344). The FT%, meanwhile, ranks ninth in the NCAA, while the team is 17th in the nation three-point defense and 40th in scoring.
Individually, Eilise O'Connor is tops in the conference in scoring (21.6), second in free throw percentage (.872) and third in assists (4.5), while Kim Nezianya is second in rebounding (11.0) and fifth in scoring (16.3) and Calli White is fifth in 3-pt. FG per game (2.3) and third in 3-pt.% (.379).
