Women's Basketball Hosts South Dakota, Travels to Omaha

Starting Five

Going into the final two weeks of conference play, the Roos will look to continue improving their record. Of the next four games, three of them will be hosted by the Roos who picked up both of their conference wins while playing at home.
Of the Roos, just two players have made appearances in all 27 games so far this season. Nariyah Simmons is the only Roo to have started in all 27 games, she has played 626 minutes this season, averaging 23.2 per game. Along with Simmons Emani Bennett is the only other Roo to have appeared in all 27 games. Of her 27 appearances she has started in 19 games.
Last season, Kansas City finished with three conference wins over Oral Roberts, North Dakota and Omaha. With two wins already under their belt, they will look to add to the win column in the next two weeks. The Roos currently rank seventh in the Summit League with just two wins separating them from sixth place and three wins separating them from fifth.
Last game, Alayna Contreras led the Roos in scoring. She was the only Roo to reach double-digits, earning 12 points. She is the leading scorer for the Blue and Gold, averaging 10.4 points per game. In Kansas City's matchup against SDSU, Contereas drained her 100th field goal of the season, leading all Roos by nearly ten field goals.
Ifunanya Nwachukwu had been another key player for Kansas City, especially on the defensive end. She ranks 168th nationally and third in the Summit League averaging 1.08 blocks per game. Nwachukwu earned a career-high five blocks in the Roos' victory over North Dakota on Feb. 10.

South Dakota Notes

The Coyotes head into the matchup hot off a win over St. Thomas at home. In the last meeting between Kansas City and South Dakota, the Coyotes hosted the Roos, besting them 72-62. While South Dakota enters the matchup on a nine-game winning streak over Kansas City, all three of the Roos wins against the Coyotes came at home. KC's most recent win was Jan. 12, 2013.
South Dakota currently has two players averaging points in the double-digits. Junior guard Grace Larkins leads the Coyotes in points with 425 so far this season, averaging 15.7 points per game. Just behind her is Junior guard Kendall Holmes who averages 11.9 points per game and has tallied 320 points so far this season.
This meeting marks the fourth meeting between the Roos and Coyotes under Coach Jackson-Durett and Coach Kayla Karius. The last time the two teams faced outside conference play was during the 2022 conference tournament in which Kansas City fell to South Dakota 81-67.

Omaha Notes

The Mavericks. like the Roos, head into the week coming off a loss against conference leaders SDSU. Kansas City faced South Dakota State on Thursday falling 74-53 to the Jackrabbits who are undefeated in conference play. Omaha faced SDSU on Saturday, falling 79-57. Before hosting the Roos, Omaha travels to Oral Roberts on Thursday.
In the last meeting between the Mavericks and the Roos, four Roos put up double-digit performances including a season-high 23 points from Dominique Phillips. Along with Phillips, Alayna Contreras, Nariyah Simmons and Tamia Ugass, all reach double-digits.
Junior guard, Grace Cave leads the Mavericks on offense, averaging 12.9 points per game. She has made 100 field goals on the season and put up 25 points — just two less than her season-high — in the loss against SDSU.

Women's Basketball Hosts South Dakota, Travels to Omaha

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Emani Bennett

Alayna Contreras

Ifunanya Nwachukwu

Dominique Phillips

Nariyah Simmons

Tamia Ugass

Women's Basketball Hosts South Dakota, Travels to Omaha

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Emani Bennett

Alayna Contreras

Ifunanya Nwachukwu

Dominique Phillips

Nariyah Simmons

Tamia Ugass

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University of Missouri Kansas City Athletics