.png&width=40&type=webp)
.png&width=40&type=webp)
Kansas City
Bakersfield
Washington?s Career-High Not Enough As ?Roos Fall To Runners
2/21/2015 5:54:00 PM | Women's Basketball
(Kansas City, Mo.) – Taylor Leathers twice gave the 'Roos the lead with less than a minute left in the game and Aries Washington scored a career-high 26 points, but it was not enough as the Missouri-Kansas City women's basketball team had its three-game home winning streak snapped in a 78-76 loss to Bakersfield on Saturday afternoon at the Swinney Recreation Center.
“The team definitely battled,” Head Coach Marsha Frese said. “All you can ask this time of year is to be in the game down the stretch and have an opportunity to win and we definitely had that tonight. I'm really proud of our team and the fight they continue to show and the work they put in. We are working hard to play our best basketball in March.”
After leading for most of the game, the 'Roos found themselves trailing with 49 seconds left when Leathers knocked down a pair of free throws to put the 'Roos back in front by one.
Tyonna Outland put Bakersfield back in the lead on the other end, but Calli White found Leathers open at the top of the key where she knocked down a three with 13 seconds to go to give the 'Roos a two point cushion.
The Runner immediately pushed the ball up the court, knotting the game at 76-76, before stealing the inbounds pass and winning the game on an Outland layup that left less than a second on the clock.
For Washington, her 26 points came on 9-of-12 shooting from the field and 8-of-9 from the free throw line, while the first year 'Roo added six rebounds and two assists.
“Every single game our team in going to have fight,” Washington said. “The only thing that hurt us tonight was ourselves. We could have done some things differently to change the outcome, but we will learn from this and get prepared for our next game.”
Samantha Waldron, meanwhile, finished with six rebounds, two assists and 16 points, including hitting 4-of-7 from long range, giving her nine in the last two games, while Grace Mitchell narrowly missed her fifth double-double of the season, notching 15 points and eight rebounds.
UMKC, who falls to 6-20 overall and 4-7 in the WAC, trailed by one early, before using a 16-6 run, including nine from Mitchell, to go ahead 20-11.
The 'Roos would go on to build their lead to a first half-high 12, when Waldron buried her fourth three of the half at the 3:04 mark, but the Runners, who improve to 20-7 on the season and 9-3 in the conference, closed the half on an 11-4 run to cut the lead to five at 45-40 heading into the break.
Coming out of halftime, CSUB scored seven of the first nine points to make the run 18-6 and tie the score at 47-47 with just under 16 minutes left to play.
The Kangaroos would regain the lead and extend it to five midway through the half, but Bakersfield once again answered, taking a four point lead, their largest of the game, with just under seven minutes to go.
The 'Roos, however, came right back, scoring the game's next eight points, including the final four from Washington, but CSUB countered with the next five to put them ahead by one and setup the intense final minute of play.
As a team, the 'Roos shot 54.3 percent from the field, including 60.0 percent from three-point range, and 76.9 percent from the stripe, while out-rebounding Bakersfield 35-25.
Individually, Leathers finished with nine points, five rebounds and four assists.
The Blue & Gold will be back in action again on Thursday when they head to Orem, Utah to take on Utah Valley at 8 p.m. CT in WAC play.
