Monday, December 19
Vermillion, SD
7:00 PM
Kansas City
at
South Dakota
Photo by: Ryan Weaver Photography
Kansas City Back on The Road to Begin League Play
12/16/2022 4:43:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Roos travel to South Dakota on Monday before taking on South Dakota State on Wednesday
at USD (WATCH | STATS)
at SDSU (WATCH | STATS)
Starting Five
- Kansas City Women's Basketball is back on the road for its seventh and eighth away games in nine games total to open up Summit League play against South Dakota and South Dakota State. The Roos look to begin conference play with a win for the fifth time in six years, winning five-straight from 2017-21 before falling to South Dakota State in last year's league opener.
- The Roos use three double-digit scoring runs to get back in the win column against Bellevue on Dec. 15, putting together separate runs of 12, 13 and 18 points. KC has posted double-digit scoring runs in three games this season, all of which have translated to wins (Westminster, Tennessee State, Bellevue).
- RaVon Nero notched her first 20-point performance since 2020-21 in the Roos win over the Bruins, her first double-digit scoring game this season. After missing seven games due to injury, Nero is averaging 15.5 points on 47.6% field goal shooting in her two games since returning. She has also added a three-point shooting spark to the lineup, knocking down a pair of triples in each game.
- Having scored exactly 200 points in her first 11 games as a Roo, E'Lease Stafford now sits at 930 career points, just 70 away from eclipsing the 1,000-point plateau. Should she maintain her current scoring clip, she would surpass that mark in KC's game at St. Thomas on Jan. 12.
- Success at the free throw line has shown to be a marker of success for the Roos thus far. In winning efforts, Kansas City averages 16.5 free throw makes, while averaging just 9.4 makes in losses.
South Dakota Notes
- Fresh off a Sweet 16 appearance last season, South Dakota have begun the Kayla Karius era with a 5-7 record, losing six-straight games after a 5-1 start.
- Kansas City will seek its first-ever win in Vermillion, holding an 0-3 record all-time. Overall, the Coyotes hold a 7-3 advantage in the series.
- South Dakota knocked Kansas City out of the Summit League Semifinals last season in an 81-67 decision. Naomie Alnatas notched 21 points and six assists to lead the Roos in that game.
- Kansas City's last win against the Coyotes came on Jan. 12, 2013, a 60-56 decision in Kansas City.
- The Coyotes are snipers from beyond the three-point line, averaging 8.5 triples per game while shooting at a 36.2 clip, both of which are the best mark in the Summit and top-40 in the nation.
- Grace Larkins leads USD with an average of 16.1 points per game, ranking fifth in the Summit.
South Dakota State Notes
- After winning the 2022 WNIT, South Dakota State has begun the season with a 7-5 record, including a pair of wins over top-25 teams.
- The Jackrabbits own a 16-1 advantage in the all-time series, including winning the last 12-straight.
- SDSU took a 94-62 win in the most recent meeting, with Brooklyn McDavid scoring a team-high 18 points for the Roos.
- Kansas City's lone win against SDSU came on Jan. 11, 2010, a 67-64 win in Kansas City that saw Chazny Morris score 24 points.
- The Jackrabbits pull down an average of 8.5 more rebounds per game than their opponents, a mark that is best in the Summit and 45th in the nation.
- Mayah Selland leads SDSU with 15.0 points per game. The redshirt senior is a two-time All Summit League First Team honoree.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's BasketballROOS UNITED: Student-Athlete Testimonial
Tuesday, September 16
WBB Highlights: Summit League Semifinals
Saturday, March 08
WBB Highlights: Summit League Quarterfinals
Friday, March 07
WBB Highlights at UND
Saturday, March 01