Kansas City
SIU Edwardsville
?Roos Battle Cougars But Fall 63-58
11/28/2015 8:30:00 PM | Women's Basketball
(Kansas City, Mo.) – Three 'Roos scored in double figures, led by Plaza Lights Classic All-Tournament selection Aries Washington, who finished with a team-high 14 points, on 6-of-12 shooting from the field, three rebounds and two assists in UMKC women's basketball 63-58 defeat to SIU Edwardsville on Saturday night at the Swinney Recreation Center.
“We had to come together and stay together throughout the whole game,” Washington said. “We have to fix what we are doing to ourselves. Everything we are doing is controllable by us. If we pull together every single game, like we did tonight, we will by do much bigger things.”
Kiana Law was the second Kangaroo in double figures, scoring 12 points with a team-high six rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal, while Taylor Leathers finished with 10 points, three rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
“Moral victories are not what we are looking for, but the team took a big step forward today in understanding what it's going to take for a young team to be successful,” Head Coach Marsha Frese said. “When they move the ball and play unselfishly, this team is tough. If we have that individual talent working together, good things will come to us in the future.”
With the loss, UMKC moves to 0-5 to open the year, while SIU Edwardsville improves to 2-5 this season.
In the game, the two teams were evenly matched throughout as SIUE's largest lead was just seven and UMKC's reached as high as six, with six ties and 13 lead changes in the contest.
The Cougars gained an early 9-6 advantage in the contest before Washington connected on back-to-back layups and Husa added a third to put the 'Roos in front by three. Later in the quarter, Husa scored again to push the lead to four, but SIUE struck last as UMKC led 16-14 after one period of play.
SIU Edwardsville opened the second quarter on a 9-4 run to go up three, but Ceidra Coleman found Waldron open for a three and, after two straight steals by Kelsey Barrett that ended in fast break layups by Coleman, Law connected on a rebound put back to put UMKC on a 9-1 run and in front 29-24. The final four points of the half, however, went to the Cougars, but UMKC took a 29-28 lead into halftime.
Coming out of the break, SIUE went back in front by one at 34-33, but Washington and Leathers hit back-to-back jumpers and Barrett followed with a three to give UMKC its largest lead of the game at 40-34 with 5:20 left in the third.
Edwardsville would fight back to retake a 43-42 lead late in the quarter, but Law ended the period with the final basket to send the Kangaroos to the fourth quarter with a one point edge.
Leathers began the fourth with a jumper on an assist from Washington, but two possessions later, SIUE went on a 6-0 run to stretch the lead to four.
The Cougars would build the lead up to five with 3:19 left to play, before a jumper and two free throws by Law brought the 'Roos to within one at the 2:00 minute mark of the fourth quarter.
UMKC, though, was unable to put points on the board until just 11 seconds remained as the Cougars came away with the victory.
Individually, Coleman finished with six points, four rebounds and three assists and Waldron added seven points, three rebounds, an assist and a block.
As a team, UMKC held the Cougars to 41.1 percent shooting from the field, while scoring 26 points in the paint.
The Blue & Gold will be back in action again on Thursday when they head to north to Omaha, to take on former Summit League foe Omaha at 7 p.m.
