Kansas City
3-3,0-0WAC
Loyola Chicago
5-0,0-0MVC
Women's Basketball Falls to Ramblers in Double-OT Battle
11/22/2019 2:55:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Mickens Posts Double-Double, Roos Can't Overcome Rebounding Woes
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - In front of 1,000+ screaming elementary school students, the Kansas City women's basketball team took on undefeated Loyola Chicago team and provided over two hours of entertainment. The Roos overcame a 10-point fourth quarter deficit to force two overtime periods before falling to the Ramblers, 72-67.
"We just weren't tough enough," Head Coach Jacie Hoyt said. "That's all that this game was about and we didn't do our job."
Both teams came out firing, playing to a 22-19 Loyola lead after the first quarter. The Ramblers connected on 50% of their field goal attempts, while Kansas City hit at a 47% clip. Ericka Mattingly dropped seven points in the first frame, picking apart the Rambler defense off of the dribble.
The second quarter went the way of Loyola. They held the Roos to 3-of-15 shooting and took a nine point lead into the half.
"We felt like we were settling for shots that weren't in our offense," Hoyt said.
The third quarter turned into a defensive standoff. Kansas City threw different looks at the Ramblers that kept them on their heels, forcing 23% shooting in the third frame. The Ramblers made their offense at the free throw line, taking eight charity points. Kansas City connected on 40% of its shots, but turned the ball over five times and entered the fourth quarter facing a 10-point deficit.
"I challenged our kids," Hoyt said. "I had no idea how we were going to (come back), but I could tell by their faces that they believed that they could."
When Kansas City needed offense badly, the bench stepped up. Mattingly had cooled off after her blazing start, and three-point specialist Emily Ivory had trouble finding her stroke all game, finishing 2-8 from behind the arc. Needing direction on the offensive side of the ball, Jada Mickens and Awal Ajak stepped up for the Roos.
"It mostly came from my coaches, who prepare me for that moment every day in practice," Ajak said. "That made it easy for me to perform that way."
Ajak hit a three on the Roos' first offensive possession of the fourth quarter, and Kansas City began chipping away at Loyola's lead. The teams went back and forth, before back-to-back threes from Ajak and Mickens cut the deficit to three.
"We had some players step up," Hoyt said. "For Awal to knock some of those shots down; those were tough shots, high pressure shots that she knocked down with a lot of confidence. It was great to see Jada use her physical presence and get to the rim the way that she did."
With just over three minutes remaining and the Roos down by a triple, Ajak cut to the top of the key using a screen from Mickens, received a pass and with a Rambler defender's hand inches from her face, elevated and knocked down Kansas City's biggest shot of the night to tie the game up.
Kansas City had an opportunity to win in regulation with time winding down, but an Ivory three fell short of the mark. The same opportunity was presented at the end of the first overtime, but this time it was Cristina Soriano who was forced into a highly contested shot.
In the second overtime, the Roos came out to a three point lead, but it was nullified and reversed by back-to-back threes by the Ramblers' Ellie Rice.
As it turned out, what plagued the Roos all day proved to be their fatal blow. Kansas City allowed 17 offensive rebounds on the day, none bigger than back-to-back offensive boards by Loyola, giving them a minute-long possession that ate up the clock. The Roos failed to convert on their final offensive possession, and Loyola's Tiara Wallace iced the game with free throws.
"I'm sick, it should make our players sick," Hoyt said. "All those offensive rebounds that we gave up, that was the game right there."
The Roos will have the weekend off to travel to Fairfax, Va. to take on George Mason, who currently sits at 3-1.
Game Notes
First two-overtime game for Kansas City since the Roos played at home against California Baptist on Feb. 9, 2019 in the 95-92 double-OT contest…. Mickens posted a double-double, a first for a Roo this year and a first since Ericka Mattingly went for 37 and 10 in the WAC tournament semifinal on March 15, 2019… 15 turnovers forced is second most this year… The Roos finished with nine blocks, Kansas City's first seven-plus block performance since March of 2017.
