Roos Wrap Up Road Trip in Manhattan, Laramie

vs. Kansas State (WATCH | STATS)
vs. Wyoming (WATCH | STATS)

Starting Five

Kansas City Women's Basketball wraps up its six-game road trip this week with a pair of games at Kansas State and at Wyoming. The six-game road stand serves as the longest since 2017-18 and is tied for the second-longest in program history. In previous six-plus game road stands, KC has gone 4-2 (1989-90), 2-5 (1998-99), 1-5 (2009-10) and 0-6 (2017-18).
Currently on a three-game streak of scoring 20-plus points, E'Lease Stafford has established herself as one of the top three-point shooting threats in the Summit League. Not only does she knock down three-pointers at the highest rate in the league (39.7%), she also makes more threes than anybody else in the Summit, averaging 2.88 per game. Her shooting prowess also puts her fourth in overall field goal percentage and third in free throw percentage.
The Roos continue to dominate on the boards, ranking top-100 in the nation in rebound margin, offensive rebounds per game and total rebounds per game. The Roos have won the battle of the boards in 7-of-8 games so far, only being out-rebounded by Santa Clara. There is a stark difference in rebound margin in wins, versus losses. In three wins, KC pulls down an average of 10.7 more boards per game. In five losses, that average drops to a margin of just 2.2 rebounds.
Tamia Ugass earned the first two starts of her collegiate career in the Roos' games against Bradley and Grand Canyon. She took advantage of the opportunity, scoring a career-high 12 points in both games. After playing just 12 total minutes as a freshman, she averages 18.6 minutes per contest this year.
Head Coach Dionnah Jackson-Durrett emphasizes the defensive end of the court. That has translated into the Roos' average of 5.9 blocks per game, which ranks 10th in the nation. In addition, seven different Kansas City players have logged at least one game with three-or-more steals. Sanaa' St. Andre averages 2.43 steals per game, ranking second in the Summit.

Kansas State Notes

The Wildcats, in their ninth year under the direction of Coach Jeff Mittie, have gotten out to an 8-1 start this year that included a one-point win over then-No. 4 ranked Iowa.
The two teams have held one common opponent this season, as both have played Utah Tech. The Roos dropped a 94-73 decision to the Bison, while KSU came away with a 91-82 win.
This will be the 14th meeting between the two teams in program history, and the first since the 2020-21 season. The Roos seek their first win in Manhattan, as the Wildcats currently have a 7-0 advantage.
The most recent meeting came on Dec. 14, 2020, a 74-57 win for Kansas State. Naomie Alnatas led Kansas City with 15 points, while Ayoka Lee dropped 31 on 12-of-16 shooting and added 14 rebounds. KC led by two at the half, but KSU used a 25-point third quarter to run away.
The Roos won three of the first five meetings between these two squads, but since 2000, the Wildcats have won eight-straight.
Kansas State has three players that average double-digit scoring, led by Gabby Gregory's 21.1 points per contest.

Wyoming Notes

Long-time assistant coach Heather Ezell took over on the Cowgirls' bench to begin this season, and has led the squad to a 5-3 start to this year, including three-straight wins.
The Roos and Cowgirls have met three times in the past, with Kansas City owning a 2-1 edge all-time. However, the Cowgirls won the lone meeting in Laramie in 1989.
The last meeting between the two squads went the way of Kansas City in a 53-44 defensive battle. Three Roos scored in double-digits, led by 19 from Brooklyn McDavid, and KC attempted 13 more shots than Wyoming.
In the three games in series history, neither team has ever scored more than 54 points. The average final score is 53.3-43.3.
Wyoming is led by Quinn Weidemann, who averages 13.1 points per game.

Roos Wrap Up Road Trip in Manhattan, Laramie

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Naomie Alnatas

Brooklyn McDavid

Sanaa' St. Andre

E'Lease Stafford

Tamia Ugass

Roos Wrap Up Road Trip in Manhattan, Laramie

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Naomie Alnatas

Brooklyn McDavid

Sanaa' St. Andre

E'Lease Stafford

Tamia Ugass

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