.png&width=40&type=webp)
.png&width=40&type=webp)
Kansas City
Utah Valley
UMKC Falls In Overtime On The Road At Utah Valley
2/26/2015 11:22:00 PM | Women's Basketball
(Orem, Utah) – Samantha Waldron scored a career-high 19 points and Grace Mitchell notched her fifth double-double of the season with 13 points and a career-high 14 rebounds, but the Missouri-Kansas City women's basketball team fell to Utah Valley in overtime 61-51 at the PE Building.
“I'm proud of the way our team battled tonight to send the game into overtime,” Head Coach Marsha Frese said. “We were getting great looks at the basket for most of the game, but tonight we just didn't have our typical shooting performance. You could see that some of our legs down the stretch weren't there with our shots falling short. I'm proud, though, that we were in a position to win the game in regulation but couldn't close it out.”
With the loss, UMKC falls to 6-21 overall and 4-8 in the Western Athletic Conference, while the Wolverines improve to 10-17 on the year and 4-8 in the WAC.
“We need to execute better on our play,” Waldron said. “If we key in on the other team's tendencies on defense we will be a lot more successful.”
In the opening half, the 'Roos jumped out to a big lead early, scoring the game's first 16 points, holding UVU without a point until nearly 10 minutes into the game.
Calli White triggered the rally early, knocking down an elbow jumper and finding Grace Mitchell on back-to-back pick-n-rolls for the first six points.
Aries Washington made it 8-0 with an elbow jumper of her own, while White found Sierra Bone open on the left wing for a three and Bone followed with a midrange jumper on the ensuing possession.
Samantha Waldron then closed out the run, drilling a three from the left wing and pushing the lead to 16-0.
Utah Valley, however, ended the rally at the 10:36 mark, knocking down their first basket of the half and starting a 16-2 run over the next 10 minutes with a Kiana Law jumper standing as the 'Roos lone points during the stretch.
Mitchell added the final points of the half with a jumper in the paint with just nine second remaining in the half to send UMKC to the locker room leading 20-16.
Coming out of the break, Waldron scored the 'Roos first six points of the half to stretch the lead to six, before two UVU threes around a Bone layup cut the lead to two with 14:55 left in regulation.
UMKC answered with seven of the next 10, including a rebound put-back and three from Waldron, to push the lead back to six midway through the half, but a 12-2 run from Utah Valley gave the Wolverines their first lead of the game at 41-37.
White would bury a jumper and Waldron added a free throw to end the run and bring UMKC back to within one with just over three minutes to play, and on the ensuing possession, Waldron continued her dominating second half performance as she drove the lane to put the 'Roos back in front by one.
Three straight UVU free throws flipped the lead again, but on the 'Roos final possession of regulation, Waldron drove through the right side and knotted the score at 44-44 to force overtime in Orem.
In the extra frame, UVU struck first but Kiana Law answered with two free throws to keep the game even.
The Wolverines would twice stretch the lead to three, but baskets from Washington and Mitchell closed it back to within one.
The 'Roos, however, would manage only a Mitchell free throw down the stretch and Utah Valley scored 10 of the game's next 11 points to come away with the victory.
Individually, Washington grabbed a career-high nine rebounds and Bone added seven points off the bench, while as a team UMKC out-rebounded Utah Valley 45-33 and outscored them 13-4 in second chance points.
The Blue & Gold will be back in action again on Saturday when they wrap-up WAC regular season road play at Grand Canyon with tip slated for 3 p.m. CT in Phoenix, Ariz.
