Roos Face Shooting Struggles in Loss to Mizzou

Thursday, December 21

Columbia, MO

7:00 PM

Kansas City

7-6,0-0Summit League

Missouri

9-4,0-0SEC

Kansas City

Missouri

Photo by: Ryan Weaver Photography

Roos Face Shooting Struggles in Loss to Mizzou

12/21/2023 10:11:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Highlights

The Tigers pulled ahead early and did not look back

COLUMBIA, Mo —Kansas City Women's Basketball (7-6) could not get hot offensively against Mizzou (9-4) falling 85-42. The Roos struggled to find their rhythm in the first quarter but notched a handful of strong plays on the defensive end. Lisa Thomas documented four steals, tying her season-high in just the first five minutes. Dominique Phillips also documented a steal for the Roos, along with three baskets, making her the lone first-quarter scorer from KC.

Shooting trouble carried over into the second quarter for the Blue and Gold. Kansas City had another near five-minute scoring drought from the field to open half number two. Along with Phillips, both Emani Bennett and Tamia Ugass earned baskets in the second quarter. Thomas also contributed on the offensive front, banking her two free throws to help push the Roos to a ten-point quarter.

Kansas City came out with more energy to start the second half with Ifunanya Nwachukwu finding the scoreboard within the first two minutes. The Roos struggled to keep up with strong Mizzou three-point shooting but kept fighting and put up another ten-point quarter. The fourth quarter was the Roos' highest scoring, with 16 points, but it was too little too late.

KEY MOMENTS

1Q — 5:09 / 7-2 | The Roos were cold from the field for nearly the first five minutes but put pressure on the Tigers forcing four missed shots after the Tigers' first bucket. Thomas got her hand on a Mizzou inbound, took the ball down the court, and found Phillips who knocked down the jumper. Phillips hit another jumper about a minute later to bring the Roos within four — the smallest Mizzou lead of the game.
2Q — 5:23 / 25-9 | Em. Bennett broke a nearly three-minute dry spell by knocking down a free throw. Shortly after she drove the ball from outside the arc to the top of the key, getting off a jumper. Bennett's free throw and bucket made her the first Roo other than Phillips to score.
2Q — 3:24 / 14-37 | Bennett dribbled the ball and found Phillips when met with Mizzou defenders. Phillips hit a three, the Roos' first of the night.
3Q — 8:05 / 45-18 | Phillips drove through traffic and turned to put up a layup, but it did not fall. Nwachukwu was there for the putback, her bucket was the quickest the Roos made it to the scoreboard in any quarter.
4Q — 6:38 / 70-28 | Thomas drove the ball around the outside of the arc and bounce passed it to Ugass. Ugass looked to make the drive but held on to the for a pull-up jumper just behind the free throw line.
4Q — 0:40 / 84-42 | Alayna Contreras brought the ball up the court and pulled up for three, just outside the arc. On the next play, Dayshawna Carter fired off a jumper, earning the last Kansas City bucket.

STATS TO NOTE

Phillips led the Roos in scoring with 14 points. She put up her second-best three-point performance of the year knocking down two threes'. Phillips was just one basket shy of the 16-point season-high she picked up during the first game of the season in the 73-66 win over Bradley. She was also the only Roo to score for the first 12 minutes of play.
After putting up career-highs in points in the win over Kansas Christian both Zanaa Cordis and Carter were able to notch baskets against Mizzou. Carter's baskets put her on a three-game scoring streak and Cordis's basket extended her scoring streak to seven.
The Roos documented 11 steals against the Tigers, making it their third-best steal performance of the season behind Kansas Christian and Chicago State. Thomas earned five of the steals all within the first five and a half minutes of play. Ugass, Phillips and Jocelyn Ewell all earned two steals a piece.
Both the Roos and Tigers bench accounted for 37 points in the game. The bench earned all of Kansas City's points in the first and third quarters.
Kansas City went 18-69 from the field for its worst shooting performance of the season. Prior to tonight, the Roos' worst shooting matchup was against North Dakota on Feb. 18, 2023, when the Roos went 14-68 from the field.

UP NEXT
Kansas City opens conference play against Oral Roberts (7-4) in Tulsa. The Roos take on the Golden Eagles on Friday, Dec. 29 at 7 p.m.