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UMKC Returns To California For Showdown With Roadrunners
1/21/2015 11:29:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ON THE AIR AND ON THE WEB
Date-Time: January 22, 2015 - 9 p.m. CT
Site: Bakersfield, Calif./Icardo Center
TV: none
Radio: 102.9 FM/1140 AM
Online Audio: KCXL.com
Talent: T.J. Jackson (p-b-p)
Live Stats: GoRunners.com
Webcast: GoRunners.com
Twitter: @UMKCWBB @TheUMKCRoos
Hashtags: #RooUp #WACHoops
Series: Bakersfield leads 3-0
Home: 0-1
Away: 0-1
Neutral: 0-1
Last Meeting: Bakersfield won 97-91 in Bakersfield on Feb. 20, 2014.
The Game
The Missouri-Kansas City women's basketball team (3-14, 1-2) continues its opening WAC road swing when it heads to Bakersfield, Calif., to take on Bakersfield (12-6, 1-2) on Jan. 22. The 'Roos and the Roadrunners are slated for a 9 p.m. CT tip on Thursday at the Icardo Center.
The Opponent
Bakersfield (12-6, 1-2)
PPG: 73.3
PPG Allowed: 68.2
Leading Scorer: Tyonna Outland - 18.9
Leading Rebounder: Batabe Zempare - 10.1
Assists Leader: Alyssa Shannon - 5.3
The Series
Bakersfield (0-3)
N29, 2008 (N) L, 61-78 Whitaker
J25, 2014* (H) L, 80-87 Frese
F20, 2014* (A) L, 91-97 Frese
Last Time Out
The 'Roos starting frontcourt of Grace Mitchell and Kiana Law each recorded double-doubles and the Kangaroos outrebounded the Cougars 44-18, as the Missouri-Kansas City women's basketball team picked up its first WAC victory of the season with a 65-59 win over Chicago State at the Jones Convocation Center. With the win, UMKC improves to 3-14 overall and 1-1 in the WAC and snaps its 11-game skid, while the Cougars fall to 2-13 overall and 0-2 in conference play.
Mitchell led the 'Roos in the contest, scoring a career-high 20 points, on 9-of-12 shooting, and grabbing 10 rebounds for her second double-double of the season and fourth of her career, while Law added 11 points, a career-high 13 rebounds, two blocks and two steals. As a team, UMKC shot 51.3 percent from the field (25-49), including 41.7 percent (5-12) from three-point range, and individually Waldron chipped in nine points, a career-high five assists and four rebounds and White added 13 points.
The Coaches
Nationally known for her top-notch recruiting classes, Marsha Frese enters her third season as head women's basketball coach at UMKC. Frese brings 16 seasons of experience as a Division-I player and coach to the UMKC campus. During her first two seasons in Kansas City, Frese began to establish her vision for a championship culture while guiding the 'Roos toward excellence, both on the court and in the classroom.
Greg McCall is in his fourth season as the head women's basketball coach at Bakersfield. In his third season as head coach in 2013-14, McCall led the Roadrunners to a 19-12 mark, a second place finish in the Western Athletic Conference, and an appearance in the 2014 WNIT. Limited at times to just six players during his first campaign, the Roadrunners continued to compete, winning two of its final four games to finish the 2011-12 campaign with a 7-22 record. CSUB improved to 12-17 in year two, winning a school Division I record nine games at one point. McCall is 38-51 as Bakersfield head coach.
Up Next...
The 'Roos will close out their opening WAC road trip when they head north to Seattle, Wash., to take on Seattle at 6 p.m. CT.
A Win Would...
• Give the 'Roos back-to-back wins for the first time this season.
• Be the 'Roos first ever over the Roadrunners.
• Give UMKC a winning record in conference play.
• Open up conference play with a 2-0 road record for the first time since 2003-04.
Last Time Against The Roadrunners
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.
Mitchell's Double-Doubles
In the 'Roos game at Chicago State, the starting frontcourt of Kiana Law and Grace Mitchell each tallied double-doubles, marking the first time since Feb. 8, 2014 at Chicago State that two 'Roos notched double-doubles in the same season. This double-double was Mitchell's fourth of her career and second this season and Law's second this season. In her career, Taylor Leathers has two double-doubles as well.
Freshmen Contributions
This season, the 'Roos regular rotation has featured six freshmen, with the group averaging 30.0 points (55.0%), 19.3 rebounds (54.8%), 4.8 assists (44.8%), 2.7 steals (59.7%) and 1.7 blocks (69.0%). The players make up four of the top five scorers on the team.
Overall, the 'Roos second in the NCAA in minutes per game per player by freshmen at 51.4% of total minutes, trailing only Clemson.
Defensive Improvement
This season, the 'Roos have stepped up on the defensive end, as UMKC is allowing 9.3 less points per game (66.1 to 75.4) compared to last season. At the three-point line, meanwhile, the 'Roos are limiting teams to just 29.8 percent shooting, tops in the WAC.
On The Glass
The 'Roos are currently limiting teams to just 35.1 rebounds per game, the fewest amount in the WAC.
Good From Three
At the arc the 'Roos are third in the WAC in 3-pt. FG% at 32.7% and first in 3-pt. FG% defense at 29.8%.
White From Deep
Calli White has continued to be a top threat from long range as the sophomore has knocked down 34 threes this season, giving her 107 in her career, the seventh most in UMKC history. Her 36.5 percent clip, meanwhile, is also seventh best.
Law's Debut Campaign
In her first season in the Blue & Gold, Kiana Law is sitting fifth in the WAC in rebounds at 6.7 per contest, while ranking sixth in field goal percentage (47.1%), 13th in free throw percentage (61.8%) and 21st in scoring (8.6).
White Against The WAC
Currently, Calli White ranks as the fifth best scorer in the WAC at 12.9 points, while sitting first in minutes (36.82), eighth in assists (3.06), second in free throw percentage (83.9%), fourth in three-point field goals made (2.00) and 11th in three-point field goal percentage (34.3%).
WA-WA WAC
In the WAC, Samantha Waldron is third in three-point field goal percentage (40.0%), sixth in minutes played (32.35) and 30th in scoring (7.4) and Aries Washington is eighth in field goal percentage (45.2%), 11th in free throw percentage (68.3%), 14th in assists (2.0) and 24th in scoring (8.0).
Iron Women
Calli White and Samantha Waldron have been staples in the UMKC lineup this season as the duo have each started every game and is each topping the 30 minutes per game mark. White leads the WAC at 36.8 mpg, while Waldron is sixth at 32.4 mpg.
In the game against North Florida, meanwhile, Waldron (45), Lexis Hardiek (41) and Kiana Law (25) all played career-high in minutes, while White (42) and Taylor Leathers (37) all played season-high's.
- 2014-15 Missouri-Kansas City Women's Basketball -
