UMKC Goes Down To Highlanders

Saturday, January 3

Riverside, Calif.

2:00 PM

Kansas City

UC Riverside

Women's Basketball Off-Season Series - Best Basketball Memory: Lexis Hardiek

UMKC Goes Down To Highlanders

1/3/2015 2:05:00 PM | Women's Basketball

By: UMKC Athletics

(Riverside, Calif.) – The Missouri-Kansas City women's basketball team fell in its opening game of 2015, 81-38 to UC Riverside on Saturday afternoon at the Student Recreation Center.

The loss drops UMKC to 2-12 on the season, while UC Riverside improves to 9-5 this year.

Calli White lead the 'Roos with a season-high 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field, including 2-of-5 from three-point range, and a perfect 6-of-6 at the line, while Lexis Hardiek also notched a season-high, scoring eight points on 3-of-6 shooting, including 2-of-3 from long range.

“In order for our team to see success in conference play, it's going to be critical for us to improve on our first half game,” Hardiek said. “With our team being short on numbers, I have an even greater responsibility to be physically and mentally ready to have my shot on and today I was able to hit a few shots.”

Grace Mitchell opened with the game's first points for the 'Roos, but UC Riverside answered with nine straight before Samantha Waldron buried a three to cut the lead to four.

The Highlanders then stretched the lead to 11 before White hit her first three of the game to cut the deficit to 16-8, and after extending the lead to 14, White drilled her second three of the half for the 'Roos.

UMKC, though, would manage only jumpers from Mitchell and Kiana Law and a pair of free throws and a jumper from White over the final 9:52 of the half as the Highlanders took a 45-19 lead into the break.

Coming out of halftime, UC Riverside quickly stretched the lead to 45, scoring the first 19 points of the half before Hardiek knocked down her first jumper to end the rally.

The 'Roos lone senior followed with a pair of threes on the next two UMKC possessions, giving her all eight of the points on the 8-0 Kangaroo run.

UMKC, however, was unable to get any closer, while UC Riverside extended the margin to a game-high 47 before coming away with the 81-38 victory.

Mitchell added four points and team-high's of six rebounds and two assists, while from three-point range, UMKC limited the Highlanders to just 26.1 percent shooting and hit 33.3 percent of their own attempts.

The Blue & Gold will be back in action when they head across the country to Jacksonville, Fla., where they will face-off with North Florida in the non-conference finale at 3:30 p.m. CT on Jan. 6.