Women's Basketball Wins Conference Opener in Comeback, Overtime Thriller

Saturday, January 2

Grand Forks, ND

1:00 PM

Kansas City

4-3,1-0Summit League

University of North Dakota

0-7,0-1Summit League

OT 1

Kansas City

North Dakota

Photo by: Russell Hons, UND Athletics

Women's Basketball Wins Conference Opener in Comeback, Overtime Thriller

1/2/2021 4:10:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Final Box

Naomie Alnatas finishes with another big performance

GRAND FORKS, N.D. - The Kansas City Women's Basketball (4-3, 1-0) team won their conference opener for the fourth season in a row under the direction of Head Coach Jacie Hoyt. The Roos made their presence known in their return to the Summit League with a 71-67 overtime win against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks (0-7, 0-1).

"We made a change to our mentality at halftime," Hoyt said. "We haven't played since Dec. 17 and it took our players time to wake up."

The Fighting Hawks were short-handed to start the new year with only eight eligible players in the game. This caused the original double-header series to be narrowed to a single-game road trip to Grand Forks, N.D. After a 16-day break in action, the Roos capitalized on their fresh legs and a hearty bench to persevere through a slow start and capture a win in overtime.

The junior leader, Jonaie Johnson carried the Roos by earning six of the team's eight points in the first quarter. RaVon Nero started the second quarter with a rebound, followed by a transition three-pointer, and a steal to get Kansas City a spark. However, free throws and fouls plagued the Roos in the first half, giving 11 opportunities at the charity stripe to North Dakota. The Hawks connected on 9-of-11 shots at the line, while the Roos only had two chances for free points. A three-pointer by Jada Mickens and two gems from behind the arc by Mandy Willems were not enough to narrow the lead before the half. The Fighting Hawks had seven of their eight eligible players in the scoring column by the end of the first half. The score going into the break was 23-36 before the Roos began to climb their way back to victory.

"Mimie continues to be our engine," Hoyt explained. "When she goes, we go and it was good to see her get in a rhythm in the second half."

The second half began with Naomie Alnatas adding a quick two-point reverse under the basket and a three-pointer to bring the Roos within ten. A pair of big threes by Willems and Paige Bradford brought the deficit to six just after the third quarter media timeout. Defense, paired with a couple of buckets by Alnatas and Bradford brought Kansas City within three with a 40-43 third quarter finish. The Roos outscored North Dakota 17-7 in the third frame.

The fourth quarter momentum change began with senior Taylor Larson taking a charge on defense. Bradford took the first lead of the game with a field goal to bring the score to 44-43 at the eight-minute mark. Nero added the Roos ninth three-pointer to give them their largest lead with the Roos on top 52-48 after overcoming a 17-point deficit. However, a string of Kansas City fouls and turnovers gave the Fighting Hawks the one-point lead with one minute remaining in the game. Alnatas took back the lead with a drive through the paint with :54 seconds left on the clock. The Roos found themselves down by one with 12 seconds left and the opportunity for the last shot. Bradford headed to the line with four seconds remaining and completed one-of-two to tie the game at 59-59. The Fighting Hawks had the final possession in regulation, but Larson stripped the layup, taking the game into overtime.

"Mandy played a really big part for us today," Hoyt noted. "Emily Ivory struggled, but Mandy and RaVon both stepped up and hit big shots for us. It was a great team win."

Willems took the free basketball in overtime as a time to shine, sinking a three with three minutes remaining in the extra period and finishing with a career-high 13 points. Alnatas grabbed a steal and a fast break layup to extend the Roos' lead to five. The Fighting Hawks' Jaclyn Jarnot drained a three to make it a three-point game with 16 seconds left in overtime. In the end, the Roos finished business on the free throw line to get Kansas City's first win back in The Summit League.

Five players in the Kansas City light blue uniforms finished with double-digit scoring performances. Alnatas stayed atop the Roos' scoring column finishing with 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. Willems finished a career-high performance with 13 points, ending 4-of-8 from the three-point line. Bradford and Nero both finished with 11 points with six and five rebounds, respectively. Johnson finished with 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in 34 minutes of play.

"This was a huge win for us. Any win in this conference, especially on the road is huge," Coach Hoyt said. "I'm really proud of the way our kids fought to the finish."

It is yet to be decided whether the second game, originally scheduled for Sunday, will be rescheduled. The Roos will return home for a conference double-header against South Dakota on Jan. 8 & 9, both games schedule to tip-off at 2 p.m. Tune into the Roos Sports Network at kcroos.com or follow Kansas City Women's Basketball @KCRoos_WBB on Twitter for updates and highlights.