Saturday, November 18
Kansas City, Mo.
3:15 PM
Kansas City
1-3,0-0Summit League
61
vs
70
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Kansas
2-1,0-0Big 12
1
2
3
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F
Kansas
23
19
16
12
70
Kansas City
8
12
21
20
61
Photo by: Ryan Weaver
Roos Display Second Half Heart in Loss to Kansas
11/18/2023 6:36:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Nariyah Simmons scored 34 points, including 25 in KC's second half comeback attempt
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Despite falling behind early, Kansas City Women's Basketball (1-3) displayed a strong second half fight in a loss to Kansas (2-1) this afternoon, 70-61. The Roos trailed by 22 points going into the half, but outscored the Jayhawks in the second frame behind 25 second half points from Nariyah Simmons. Simmons finished the contest with 34 points, leading all scorers and shooting 4-of-8 from three-point range.
Kansas City had no answer for the Kansas offense in the first quarter, allowing the Jayhawks to shoot 10-of-14, or a 71.43% clip. From that point on, the Roos' defense found ways to make life difficult for KU, forcing a 37.5% field goal percentage in the final three quarters. In addition, the Roos held Kansas to a season-low 21.1% shooting from three-point range.
Offense came in very different ways for the two sides. Behind Simmons, Lisa Thomas was the second-leading scorer for KC with seven points and Alayna Contreras scored six, the only other Roo to surpass the five-point mark. The Jayhawks, on the other hand, had four players reach double-digit scoring.
KEY MOMENTS
STATS TO NOTE
UP NEXT
The Roos travel to Cleveland next week for the Cleveland State MTE, beginning with a matchup against Chicago State on Wednesday at 12 p.m.
Kansas City had no answer for the Kansas offense in the first quarter, allowing the Jayhawks to shoot 10-of-14, or a 71.43% clip. From that point on, the Roos' defense found ways to make life difficult for KU, forcing a 37.5% field goal percentage in the final three quarters. In addition, the Roos held Kansas to a season-low 21.1% shooting from three-point range.
Offense came in very different ways for the two sides. Behind Simmons, Lisa Thomas was the second-leading scorer for KC with seven points and Alayna Contreras scored six, the only other Roo to surpass the five-point mark. The Jayhawks, on the other hand, had four players reach double-digit scoring.
KEY MOMENTS
- 1Q - 8:02 / 2-6 | The Roos started 0-of-2 from the field with a turnover and Kansas made its first three shots, but Dominique Phillips got the Roos on the board on an assist from Thomas. Kansas scored the next nine points and opened up a double-digit lead.
- 1Q - 4:35 / 4-15 | Simmons made her first bucket of the night, finishing through contact to put an end the the Jayhawks' run. KU ended the quarter on an 8-4 push and entered the first break leading by 15.
- 2Q - 7:36 / 11-27 | Wyvette Mayberry missed a shot for the Jayhawks, and Simmons pulled down the rebound. On the other end of the floor, Contreras dished back to Simmons, who knocked down KC's first three of the game and got the Roos' second quarter scoring started.
- 2Q - 1:36 / 20-39 | Simmons found Emani Bennett for a layup, Kansas City's final field goal of the half. KU knocked down a triple on the next possession, entering the half with a 22-point advantage.
- 3Q - 3:38 / 36-53 | Kansas City began to cut into the Jayhawks' lead in the third quarter, going on a 12-7 run courtesy of seven points by Simmons. However, Kansas scored the next five points and extended the lead back out to 22.
- 3Q - 0:05 / 41-58 | Simmons was responsible for the last five points of the third quarter, including a three-pointer in the final seconds to give the Roos some momentum going into the final frame.
- 4Q - 8:36 / 45-58 | The Roos opened the fourth quarter by scoring the first four points, all coming on mid-range jumpers from Contreras. aire Harrell notched a steal in-between the buckets to keep the Jayhawks scoreless.
- 4Q - 4:32 / 53-62 | Kansas City put together a 7-2 run, capped by a pair of free throws from Dayshawna Carter, and cut the KU lead to single digits for the first time since the 5:50 mark of the first quarter.
- 4Q - 1:53 / 59-66 | Simmons cut Kansas' lead down to seven points a couple of times from the free throw line, but the Roos did not have enough left in the tank to complete the comeback.
STATS TO NOTE
- Simmons' 34-point showing is her best as a Roo, and the most by a Kansas City player in a single game since Naomie Alnatas went for 38 points against UT Arlington on Nov. 28, 2021. It is tied for the 12th-highest single-game scoring effort in program history and is a program record against Power Five opponents.
- The Roos had three players contribute 20-plus minutes off the bench - Contreras, Harrell and Jocelyn Ewell. It was Harrell's second-straight game contributing big minutes off the bench as she led KC with six rebounds.
- Kansas City outscored the Jayhawks by 13 points in the second half, KU's largest deficit in a half so far this season.
- KC shot an efficient 13-of-16 from the free throw line on the game, good for 81.3%. Entering today, the Roos were shooting just 61.4% from the line.
UP NEXT
The Roos travel to Cleveland next week for the Cleveland State MTE, beginning with a matchup against Chicago State on Wednesday at 12 p.m.
Team Stats
KU
KC
FG%
.452
.373
3FG%
.211
.333
FT%
.556
.813
RB
39
36
TO
10
15
STL
5
5
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
34
FGM
11
3FGM
4
FTM
8
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
6
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
4
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballG
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