Kansas City
Northern Illinois
Roos Drop Holiday Classic Finale to NIU, 86-75
12/20/2016 8:52:00 PM | Women's Basketball
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three UMKC women's basketball players reached double figures in scoring, including 18 points from junior guard Samantha Waldron (Omaha, Neb.) and 17 from senior guard Ceidra Coleman (Bryan, Texas), but the Roos dropped the Holiday Classic Finale to Northern Illinois, 86-75.
UMKC (5-6) led for the first 2:49, going on a 6-0 run to start the game with Waldron and Coleman scoring the first three buckets for the Roos. The Huskies (7-4) took over the lead and outscored UMKC 22-19 in the first quarter. Waldron scored seven points in the opening 10 minutes, while Coleman and junior guard Aries Washington (Kansas City, Mo.) each scored four for the Roos.
Coleman scored 7 points in the second quarter, bringing her total to 11 points at the half to lead UMKC. NIU outscored UMKC 22-17 in the second, giving the Huskies and eight-point lead at the half. Redshirt sophomore Kristen Moore (Chicago, Ill.) grabbed six boards in the first half and the Roos out-rebounded the Huskies 22-20 in the first 20 minutes.
A big third quarter for UMKC brought them back within four points. Waldron fronted the UMKC offense in the third quarter, scoring seven points on three-of-eight shooting, including two-of-five from beyond the arc.
With the score at 62-58 to begin the fourth quarter, UMKC looked to get the lead back, but the Huskies forced six turnovers and committed just one, and held the Roos to five-of-14 shooting in the final 10 minutes. NIU outscored UMKC 24-17 in the final quarter, going on to the 86-75 win.
UMKC out-rebounded Northern Illinois 43-35, with Moore grabbing a team-high eight boards to go along with nine points. Washington finished with 12 points and graduate transfer Lyndsay Leikem (Tucson, Ariz.) added nine.
The Roos will set out on a four-game road trip, starting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, against La Salle on Dec. 28. From there, UMKC will travel to Long Island, New York, to play Stony Brook on Dec. 31. The road trip concludes with two Western Athletic Conference games, at New Mexico State and UT Rio Grande Valley.
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