Women's Basketball takes to North Dakota for Two Games

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - After getting back into the win column with a 77-68 decision over Denver, Kansas City Women's Basketball will look to move above .500 in conference play as they take on North Dakota State and North Dakota on the road.

Kansas City Notes

Naomie Alnatas has secured her position as one of the top guards in the nation, ranking top-60 in Division One in assists (4.8; 54th) and points (18.6; 38th) per game, field goal percentage (52.4%; 57th) and free throw percentage (86.9%; 35th).
Knocking down the three-pointer is crucial to Kansas City's success. The Roos have posted a 10-1 record when one-or-more players knocks down three-plus triples. On the other side, KC is 2-3 when nobody hits three long range shots.
Efficiency from behind the three-point line plays a role in the Roos' success as well. In games that the Roos have shot 30% or better from three-point range, they hold a 10-1 record. In games that they shoot under 30% from three, the Roos are 2-3.
Kansas City has established its spot as one of the league's best rebounding teams. The Roos hold an average rebounding margin of +8.2, which ranks 25th in the nation. The next-best Summit League team is South Dakota State with a margin of +3.1, ranking 118th.
The Roos are a perfect 11-0 on the year when holding their opponents to below 44.1% shooting.

Last Time vs. North Dakota State

The Roos split the series against the Bison last season in Kansas City.
In the first game of the series, Kansas City went on a 10-2 run in the final minute of play to pull off a 53-45 victory.
Naomie Alnatas and Jonaie Johnson both scored over 15 points in the win, accompanied by Jada Mickens's double-double.
The Roos were without Alnatas in the second game of the series due to injury, but RaVon Nero dropped a career-high 28 points to lead KC in the 65-68 loss.
KC forced 20-plus NDSU turnovers in each game last season.
Emily Dietz and Heaven Hamling scored double digits in both games for the Bison, both are returning for North Dakota State this season.

Series History vs. North Dakota State

The all-time series between Kansas City and North Dakota State is tied at 8-8.
KC trends to do better with home court advantage, carrying a home record of 5-3 and away record of 2-5 against NDSU.
All sixteen games against the Bison have come in the last 15 years, with the first matchup occurring in Fargo on January 19, 2008.
Kansas City trends towards more low-scoring games when facing NDSU, averaging 65.6 points per game.
The largest margin of victory for the Roos came in a 76-58 win over the Bison in 2012.

NDSU Scouting Report

The Bison were picked third in the Summit pre-season poll but enter this week at 3-4 in conference play and a 7-10 overall record.
NDSU defeated Western Illinois 63-55 in their most recent win this past Saturday.
Wyoming was the only common non-conference opponent for the Roos and the Bison. Kansas City took the victory 53-44, while NDSU dropped the game 45-71.
NDSU ranks last in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio at .60, averaging only 9.59 assists and 15.9 turnovers per game.
Heaven Hemling leads North Dakota State in scoring with 14 points per game, seventh best in the conference. She also shoots a league-best 41.2% from behind the arc, averaging 2.4 threes per game.
Hemling is also coming off a season-high 25-point performance against Western Illinois this past Saturday.

Last Time vs. UND

The Roos mounted a thrilling overtime win in their conference opener against UND last season, with a final score of 71-67 in their return to The Summit League.
Kansas City only played one game against North Dakota in the 20-21 season because the Fighting Hawks were short-handed due to COVID-19.
Noamie Alnatas filled up the stat sheet in the victory, finishing with 21 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and one block.
Mandy Willems hit some crucial three-point shots, including one in overtime, to finish with a then career-high 13 points and four baskets from long range.
RaVon Nero and Paige Bradford both finished with 11 points and five-plus rebounds.
Fast break points proved to be important for KC, as they outscored the Fighting Hawks 17-to-4 in transition.

Series History vs. UND

KC holds the 1-0 series lead against UND. Last year's conference matchup is the only time the Roos and Fighting Hawks have met up in their history.
UND joined The Summit League in 2018, and the Roos returned in 2020, setting up a fresh rivalry.
Kansas City and Coach Jacie Hoyt will look to remain unbeaten in Grand Forks on Saturday.

UND Scouting Report

Despite being picked ninth in the 2021 Summit pre-season poll, North Dakota enters this week 4-3 in conference play with an overall record of 10-8.
The Fighting Hawks bring a four-game win streak into this week, with conference wins over St. Thomas, Western Illinois, Denver, and Omaha.
UND is second-to-last in three-pointers per game, averaging only 4.4 from long range.
Kansas City will want to limit sending North Dakota to the free-throw line. UND has a 79% team free throw percentage, a league-best and ninth in the NCAA, led by Kacie Borowicz at 95.89%, atop the league and third best in the NCAA.
The Fighting Hawks are led by Borowics, who averages 18.1 points and 4.6 assists per game, second-best in the Summit to Alnatas' 18.3 points and 4.8 assists per game.
Many North Dakota players rank among the best in the league in various categories. Claire Orthe ranks second in the league with 1.9 steals per contest. Olivia Lane leads UND on the boards with 7.8 per game, ranking fourth on the charts. Melissa Leet ranks third in the league with 1.7 blocks per game.

Women's Basketball takes to North Dakota for Two Games

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Naomie Alnatas

Paige Bradford

Jonaie Johnson

Jada Mickens

RaVon Nero

Mandy Willems

Women's Basketball takes to North Dakota for Two Games

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Naomie Alnatas

Paige Bradford

Jonaie Johnson

Jada Mickens

RaVon Nero

Mandy Willems

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