Kansas City Faces Seattle U In Inaugural WAC Championship Appearance
3/11/2014 9:18:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Site: Las Vegas, Nev./Orleans Arena
Television: none
Live Online Video: WACSports.tv
Radio: 102.9 FM – TJ Steven Davis (p-b-p), Steven St. John (color)
Live Online Audio: KCXL.com – Steven Davis (p-b-p), Steven St. John (color)
Twitter: @TheUMKCKangaroos
The Game
The No. 6 Kansas City women's basketball team (11-18, 7-9) makes its first trip to the WAC championship, opening up against No. 3 Seattle U (14-15, 9-7) in the quarterfinals on Mar. 12. Wednesday's tip is slated for 8 p.m. CT at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.
The Opponent
Seattle U enters the game with a 14-15 record overall and an 9-7 mark in conference play, picking up a win over Chicago State in the regular season finale. First Team All-WAC selection Kacie Sowell leads a group of three Redhawks in double figures at 14.9 ppg, while Second Team selection Sylvia Shephard (12.7) and Ashley Ward (11.2) are also over the mark. On the glass, Sowell is grabbing a team best 9.2 of the team's 40.8 rpg.
The Series
This will be the third meeting between the 'Roos and the Redhawks with UMKC winning earlier this season, 77-65 in Kansas City and 73-71 in overtime in Seattle.
First Meetings
All five starters scored in double figures, led by senior Eilise O'Connor's 23, as the Kansas City women's basketball team (5-10, 1-1) knocked off preseason Western Athletic Conference favorite Seattle (6-9, 1-1) 77-65 at the Swinney Recreation Center for its first ever WAC victory.
O'Connor added seven rebounds and a pair of assists, while senior Kim Nezianya grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds to go along with 12 points and three steals for her sixth double-double of the season and her second straight. As a team, UMKC out-rebounded Seattle 42-37, while limiting the Redhawks to just 9.1 percent shooting from long range.
On Mar. 6, Freshman Calli White hit the game-winning jumper with 3.5 seconds left in overtime as the Kansas City women's basketball team (11-17, 7-8) completed the season sweep of preseason WAC favorite Seattle U (13-15, 8-7) on Thursday night at the Connolly Center.
O'Connor led the 'Roos offensively with 24 points, including two late free throws to send the game to overtime, while adding a season-high five steals. Nezianya, meanwhile, recorded her 16th double-double of the season, finishing with 21 points and 11 rebounds. White was the final 'Roo in double figures, scoring 17 points, including the game winner and a pair of late threes that helped the 'Roos overcome an eight point deficit with 2:37 left in regulation.
Seattle U
Series: Kansas City leads 2-0.
Home: 1-0
Away: 1-0
Neutral: 0-0
Last Meeting: Kansas City won 73-71 on Mar. 6 in overtime in Seattle.
Seattle U (2-0)
J4, 2014 (H) W, 77-65 Frese
M6, 2014 (A) W, 73-71 (ot) 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.
Joan Bonvicini, one of the most successful coaches in women's collegiate basketball history and former coach at the University of Arizona and Long Beach State, was named head coach of the Seattle University women's basketball team on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009. The veteran head coach is in her fifth season at Seattle University behind an all-time 666-365 (.645) record (as of Nov. 17, 2013) and is currently 11th on the NCAA Division I all-time wins list for women's college basketball.
Last Time Out
The Kansas City women's basketball team (11-18, 7-9) whittled a 14-point second half deficit a 53-53 tie late in the game but was unable to complete the comeback, falling 70-63 to WAC Champion Idaho (22-8, 15-1) on Saturday afternoon at the Cowan Spectrum.
Freshman Calli White led the 'Roos offensively, scoring 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting from three-point range, while Eilise O'Connor finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Senior Kim Nezianya, meanwhile, recorded her 17th double-double of the season with 15 points and 12 rebounds, with sophomore Taylor Leathers finishing as the final 'Roo in double figures with 10 points and seven rebounds.
Nezianya & O'Connor Named 2nd Team All-WAC
Kansas City seniors Eilise O'Connor and Kim Nezianya were each named Second Team All-WAC in a vote by the Western Athletic Conference's nine head coaches.
O'Connor led the conference in scoring (21.4), while ranking second in free throw percentage (87.8) and fourth in assists (4.4). Nezianya topped the WAC in rebounds (11.0), while ranking fourth in scoring (16.4).
O'Connor In The WAC Record Books
This season, Eilise O'Connor etched her name in the WAC record book in four categories, ranking first in free throws made (134), sixth in scoring average (22.8), seventh in points (364) and ninth in free throw percentage (89/3).
White from Deep
This season, freshman Calli White has made 70 three-point field goals, breaking Katie Houlehan's record for most three-point field goals as a freshman. Her 37.6 percent mark, meanwhile, is third. Overall, she is tied for third in makes in a season, while ranking six in career percentage.
Senior Trio
Hailey Houser, Eilise O'Connor and Kim Nezianya make up the 'Roos trio of seniors. In their career, they have combined to play 362 games with 225 starts, while scoring over 3,400 points, grabbing nearly 1,800 rebounds, handing out over 600 assists, with over 300 steals and 100 blocks.
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.
Record Breaking Night
On Feb. 13 against New Mexico State, the 'Roos broke several records. Kim Nezianya set the record for rebounds in a half with 13, while breaking the career rebound mark of 854. Eilise O'Connor, meanwhile, broke her own record for free throws in a season, hitting her 181st in the contest.
Most Games Played In School History
When senior Kim Nezianya suited up on Mar. 8 at Idaho, she became the school's all-time leader in career games plated with 128. Eilise O'Connor, meanwhile, is tied for seventh with 121 games played.
Double-Double Machine
This season, the 'Roos have produced 23 double-doubles with Kim Nezianya leading the way with 17. 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 51 points, while her 476 assist trail Penny Waggener by 27.
100 Starts and Counting
Halfway through her senior season, Eilise O'Connor has started 118 games, unofficially ranking 13th among all NCAA Division I players.
Back at the Line
After setting the UMKC record for free throws in a career, season and game last year, senior Eilise O'Connor is again setting records in 2013-14. In the season opener, she tied her own mark with 17 made free throws at North Texas. On Jan. 18, meanwhile, O'Connor again broke the record, hitting 22 against New Mexico State, marking a new WAC record and finishing one shy of the NCAA record. Against NMSU on 1/13, she broke her own record for free throws in a season and on 1/15 broke the WAC record for free throws in a season.
Against the NCAA
Senior Eilise O'Connor stacks up tall against her peers, as the 5-8 guard currently ranks third among active leaders in free throws (601), 16th in free throw percentage (84.2%), 26th in assists (476) and 34th in points (1,755). On the season, she ranks 34th in points with 621, 23rd in ppg at 21.4 and 16th in FT% at 87.8%. Kim Nezianya, meanwhile, is 17th in double-doubles (17) and in rebounding (11.0).
Highest Scoring Teammates In School History
With her 11 points in the 'Roos win over San Francisco, senior forward Kim Nezianya eclipsed the 1,000 point mark joining teammate Eilise O'Connor as one of just the 12 1,000-point scorers in UMKC history. The senior duo is the first pair in school history in the Division I era and just the second pair ever to have 1,000 points at the same time, joining Penny Waggener and Laurie Smith who each reached the mark in the 1984-85 season. After their final game, Waggner and Smith finished with 2,757, while O'Connor and Nezianya now have 3,101. O'Connor (1,755) currently ranks second in school history, while Nezianya is fifth (1,346).
WAC Leaders
The 'Roos currently lead the WAC in two categories: three-point FG defense (.270) and free throw percentage (.776), while sitting second in 3-Pt. FG% (.338) and scoring offense (73.7). The FT%, meanwhile, ranks ninth in the NCAA, while the team is 12th in the nation three-point defense and 57th in scoring.
Individually, Eilise O'Connor is tops in the conference in scoring (21.4), second in free throw percentage (.878) and fourth in assists (4.4), while Kim Nezianya is first in rebounding (11.0) and fourth in scoring (16.4) and Calli White is third in 3-pt. FG per game (2.4) and in 3-pt.% (.376).
Offensive Improvement
Last season, the 'Roos averaged just 53.1 points and only broke 70 in two contests. This season, UMKC is averaging 73.7 points and has scored 70 in 20 games.
Club Members Only
Eilise O'Connor now sits as the only 'Roo in school history to reach 1,700 points, 500 rebounds, 450 assists and 175 steals.
