Kansas City
Morgan State
?Roos Take Down Bears In 2016 Opener
1/2/2016 3:59:00 PM | Women's Basketball
(Kansas City, Mo.) – Taylor Leathers scored a career-high 18 points in her final non-conference game in the Blue & Gold to lead UMKC women's basketball to a 59-50 win over Morgan State in the 2016 opener on Saturday afternoon at Hill Field House in Baltimore, Md.
“A win on the road is never easy, so it's exciting to close out the non-conference with the W,” Head Coach Marsha Frese said. “Taylor Leathers showed us what a senior looks like tonight and provided tremendous poise and confidence for her teammates down the stretch. We know as a team that when we execute we are dangerous so hopefully we can continue to learn headed into conference play."
Leathers finished the game shooting 8-of-12 from the field and 2-of-2 from the free throw line, to go along with five rebounds, while Aries Washington grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds, including six on the offensive end, and added eight points, four assists and a steal.
“We were able to pull off a win in the end but we need to zero in on taking care of the ball and executing game plans if we want to be successful going forward,” Leathers said. “We did a great job rebounding and that will continue to be something that we strive for each game.”
Kiana Law, meanwhile, narrowly missed a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds, while Kristen Moore was the third 'Roo in double figures, scoring 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
With the win, UMKC improves to 5-8 overall heading into WAC play, while Morgan State falls to 3-11 on the season.
The 'Roos started slow as Morgan State jumped out to a 12-6 lead in the opening stanza, but Samantha Waldron closed the quarter with a jumper to cut the lead to four after one.
In the second quarter, UMKC continued its rally, opening with the first six points of the period on baskets from Leathers, Law and Waldron, putting them on an 8-0 run and giving them their first lead of the game at 14-12.
Morgan State would retake the lead later in the quarter at 19-16, but Washington found Sierra Bone for a three and Bone followed by finding Moore open underneath to give the 'Roos a 21-19 advantage at the break.
MSU would cut the lead to two to start the second half, but with the Kangaroos leading 29-25, Kansas City went on a 10-0 run. During the stretch, the 'Roos got scoring from five different players and assisted on three of their four field goals, while the fourth came on a steal and fast break layup by Waldron.
The lead would hold at 14 two possessions later, but the Bears would close the gap to 41-33 heading into the final quarter after a 6-0 run to end the period.
In the fourth, MSU continued to chip away, cutting the deficit down to three with just over six minute remaining, but the 'Roos answered with back-to-back baskets by Leathers to push the lead to seven.
Once more Morgan State would close to within three at the 1:23 mark, but buckets from Leathers and Moore and free throws down the stretch from Leathers and Washington sealed the win for UMKC.
For the second straight game, Bone set a career-high in assists with 10 of the Kangaroos' 18 helpers and also chipped in five points and four rebounds and Waldron scored eight points with two rebounds, an assist and a steal.
As a team, UMKC dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Bears 50-22, while limiting them to just 34.4 percent shooting.
The Blue & Gold will be back in action again next Saturday when they head to Seattle, Wash., on Jan. 9 to kick-off WAC play against the Redhawks at 9 p.m. CT.
“We are excited for January and the beginning of the conference season,” Leathers added. “Each day in practice we will continue to get better so that we can make a statement early that we are a force in the WAC.”
