Johnson Leads First-Place Roos to Season Sweep of Aggies

Saturday, February 8

Las Cruces, NM

3:00 PM

Kansas City

15-9,8-2WAC

New Mexico State

8-15,5-5WAC

Kansas City

New Mexico St.

Johnson Leads First-Place Roos to Season Sweep of Aggies

2/8/2020 6:22:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Final Box

Jonaie Johnson Nets Career-High 17 Points, Ericka Mattingly Adds 16 in Win

LAS CRUCES, N.M. - The Kansas City women's basketball team entered Saturday's matchup seeking its first-ever season sweep of New Mexico State, and its first-ever win on the floor of the Pan American Center. Forty minutes later and history had been made, as the Roos came away with the 55-50 victory behind a career-high 17 points from Jonaie Johnson.

FINAL | ??????#KCRoos | #ROOUP | #DeclareKC | #KCcommitted pic.twitter.com/B0Q4U98mDw
— Kansas City Women's Basketball (@KCRoosWBB) February 8, 2020

"Winning on the road is hard," Head Coach Jacie Hoyt said. "Winning on the road in an environment like today is really hard. Sweeping a team that has won conference the last five years is really hard."

Johnson reamed the Aggies for eight field goals, the most she's made in a Kansas City uniform. When the Roos needed her most, she stepped up, burying seven points in the fourth quarter.

4Q | Speed kills#KCRoos | #ROOUP | #DeclareKC | #KCcommitted pic.twitter.com/nCFtFkGaVk
— Kansas City Women's Basketball (@KCRoosWBB) February 8, 2020

"Jo was Jo today," Hoyt said. "She is steady in helping us find ways to win, whatever that may look like. Today, it was scoring. Having a player with her work ethic and mindset is fun to coach. She's a rare breed."

When these teams first met on Jan. 12, Ericka Mattingly was held to just two points, a season-low. After burying her first three-point shot today, she was plagued by foul trouble, sitting the final three minutes of the first half. However, she came out ready to roll in the third quarter, knocking down two triples in the first three minutes, pushing a three-point halftime lead to nine points. She finished the game with 16 points and a pair of assists in 31 minutes.

3Q | "Mattingly's got a look on her face right now... She's ready to go" ??
Ericka got going early in the third ??#KCRoos | #ROOUP | #DeclareKC | #KCcommitted pic.twitter.com/3p8ORKLf9m
— Kansas City Women's Basketball (@KCRoosWBB) February 8, 2020

"With Ericka in foul trouble, it was hard for her to get going in the first half," Hoyt said. "She made some big shots for us and did a great job of getting to the free throw line."

Kansas City entered the fourth quarter with just a three-point lead, but opened the quarter on a 6-0 run to create all of the separation it needed. The Roos shot 50% from the field in the final frame and knocked down 7-of-10 free throws to ice the game.

"Our players stuck together and pushed through a lot of adversity to get this win," Hoyt said. "I'm proud of their mindset, heart and passion to gut out two wins and complete the sweep on this road trip."

Cristina Soriano was her usual self against the Aggies, netting 10 points and pulling down a team-high nine rebounds. Emily Ivory knocked down a pair of three-pointers in the first half to give her six points, Tajah Foster-Walker added four, and Jada Mickens put up two to round out the Roos' scoring efforts.

The win moves Kansas City to 8-2 in conference play and keeps it a half game ahead of Grand Canyon atop the conference standings. It sets up a huge week at home for the Roos, as they will look to sweep the Lopes and create separation in the conference standings on Thursday before seeking revenge against CSU Bakersfield on Saturday.