Roos Hit a Season-High Six Threes in Loss at North Dakota

Saturday, January 13

Grand Forks, ND

1:00 PM

Kansas City

9-10,0-4Summit League

North Dakota

6-11,2-2Summit League

Kansas City

North Dakota

Photo by: Julia Kapros

Roos Hit a Season-High Six Threes in Loss at North Dakota

1/13/2024 4:31:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Highlights

Nariyah Simmons opened and closed the game with a three, but it was not enough to put the Roos on top

GRAND FORKS, N.D. —Kansas City Women's Basketball (9-10, 0-4) led for the majority of the first quarter but could not hold on for the long stretch, falling 76-62 to North Dakota (6-11, 2-2). The Roos came out hot, but the Fighting Hawks created a momentum shift at the end of the first quarter that allowed them to take the lead for the rest of the matchup. Emani Bennett led the scoring effort in the first half, earning 10 points and going on an eight-point scoring streak of her own. Both the Roos and North Dakota put up a big second quarter with the Blue and Gold scoring 19-points compared to North Dakota's 23. Tamia Ugass led second quarter scoring with nine points and one rebound. The Roos went into the half trailing by six, 42-36.

After a big second quarter, both the Roos and Fighting Hawks struggled with productivity in the third. North Dakota held the Roos to just one field goal in the first seven minutes of play. The scoring struggles bled into the fourth quarter for the Roos as North Dakota held them to just seven field goals in the second half. As a team, the Roos documented 30 fouls and allowed the Fighting Hawks 34 free-throw opportunities. A season-high tying six three-pointers and a Ugass double-double were not enough to make a dent in the lead the Fighting Hawks built for themselves.

KEY MOMENTS | HIGHLIGHTS

1Q — 9:17 / 3-0 | After firing off a few shots, the Roos brought down their own rebounds to maintain possession. Ugass brought down a rebound and dribbled the ball out of traffic, finding Simmons outside the arc for an open three.
1Q — 4: 49 / 13-7 | Em. Bennett knocked down back-to-back threes —one assisted by Simmons and another by Alayna Contreras —on the previous Kansas City drives but was still looking for more. Simmons found Bennett under the basket, and she knocked down the layup to put herself on an eight-game scoring streak.
2Q — 7:59 / 23-25 | From outside the arc, Contreras found Kelby Bannerman in the paint, Bannerman put up a good jumper to keep the Roos within two of UND. On the next Kansas City possession, Bannerman drove the ball from outside the arc, under the basket for a layup and her fourth point of the game.
2Q — 2:23 / 36-36 | The Roos had a few opportunities that did not fall but picked up their own rebounds to maintain possession. Elauni Bennett brought down a rebound and drew a foul, going to the line for the Roos. She knocked down both free throws to tie the game.
3Q — 8:49 / 38-45 | Simmons was brought to a stop in traffic and was able to find Ugass to keep the play alive. Ugass quickly fired off the shot, notching what would become the Roos' only field goal in the first seven minutes of the quarter.
3Q — 2:47 / 43-49 | Dominique Phillips passed the ball to Bannerman at the top of the arc. Bannerman quickly fired off the three breaking a Kansas City scoring drought of nearly six minutes. On the next play, Bannerman set up Ifunanya Nwachukwu with a pass, earning herself an assist.
4Q — 6:47 / 52-62 | Elauni Bennett brought down the defensive rebound and kept her momentum alive, carrying the ball down to the other end of the court. She went up for the driving layup and brought the Roos within 10 points of the Fighting Hawks. Following El. Bennett's play North Dakota was able to pull away, at one point creating a 19-point buffer for themselves.

STATS TO NOTE

Ugass earned 11 points and 10 rebounds in the matchup for her second double-double of the season. She earned her first double-double of the season on Dec. 6 in the win over Bellevue. Ugass documented 11 points and 11 rebounds in that matchup.
The Roos forced 13 turnovers in the first half and another six in the second half for a total of 19 in the matchup. Before today's matchup the Roos, on average, were forcing 17 turnovers per game from opponents.
The Roos notched six three-pointers today with both Em. Bennett and Simmons earning two each. The Roos' six threes tie their season-high of six they earned against Nov. 11 against Cleveland State.
Contreras put up another 37-minute performance for her third in a row. In the last six matchups, Contreras has reached double-digits in five of them, except for the Jan. 3 matchup against Portland State in which she earned nine points.

UP NEXT
The Roos return home to the Swinney Center on Saturday facing Omaha (4-12, 0-3) at 2 p.m.