Women's Basketball Comes Home to Host UND, NDSU

vs. North Dakota (WATCH | STATS | TICKETS)
vs. North Dakota State (WATCH | STATS | TICKETS)
Starting Five

Kansas City returns to the Swinney Center this week for a pair of games against North Dakota and North Dakota State. The Roos have found the most success on their home court, where they have logged four of their five wins.
E'Lease Stafford had one of the best shooting days of her career in Kansas City's most recent game against Western Illinois. She knocked down six threes, tying a career-high previously reached on Feb. 6, 2020 during her time at East Tennessee State. Additionally, in the game against St. Thomas, Stafford officially surpassed the 1,000-point mark on her five-year career.
Watch for the foul line to be a predictor of the Roos' chances in a game. When KC makes more free throws than its opponent, the team holds a 4-2 record. In games where the Roos make fewer shots from the charity stripe, they are 0-10.
Tamia Ugass has shown an ability to make a difference when she can stay on the court. In five games which she has logged more than 20 minutes, she averages 8.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. When she fails to reach the 20-minute mark, she averages 3.6 points and 3.1 rebounds.
After attempting just 25 shots across her first two years as a Roo, Jocelyn Ewell has established herself as an efficient scorer for KC this year. She averages 7.3 points on 56.3% shooting, which would be the best percentage by a seven-plus point per game scoring Roo since at least the 2003-04 season.

North Dakota Notes

This will be just the fourth-ever meeting between the Roos and the Fighting Hawks, with Kansas City owning a 2-1 edge in the series.
The teams split two games last season, with the Roos winning a 71-61 battle at home on Feb. 17, 2022. Brooklyn McDavid poured in 29 points to lead KC in that contest.
The Fighting Hawks are off to an 11-6 record, including a 4-3 start to Summit League play. They enter Thursday on a two-game winning streak.
Kacie Borowicz is the Summit's best scorer, averaging 21.4 points per game on 43.6% shooting.

NDSU Notes

The Roos own an advantage in the all-time series against the Bison, 11-8. That includes a 6-3 record in Kansas City.
Kansas City won three games against NDSU last year, including an 81-74 thriller in the Summit League Quarterfinals. The Bison led by as many as 14 points before the Roos came storming back.
NDSU currently stands alone in second place in the Summit with a 6-1 conference record. They have won their past three contests.
Heaven Hamling is the team's leading scorer at 16.5 points per game. The two-time All-Summit League performer has scored 20-plus in six games this season.

University of Missouri Kansas City Athletics