Saturday, January 25
Omaha, NE
1:00 PM
Kansas City
8-14,4-3Summit League
66
at
65
Omaha
9-11,1-6Summit League
1
2
3
4
F
Kansas City
18
8
19
21
66
Omaha
15
19
18
13
65
Photo by: Ryan Weaver Photography
Contreras Lifts Roos Over Mavericks with 32-Point Performance
1/25/2025 5:05:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Late-game composure gives KC its fourth-consecutive regular season win over Omaha
OMAHA, Neb. — Kansas City Women's Basketball (8-14, 4-3) once again showed its tenacity, this time against Omaha (9-11, 1-6), making a 14-point comeback to defeat the Mavericks, 66-65. The Roos were led by the hot hand of Alayna Contreras who knocked down a career-high 32 points on 13-of-25 shooting from the field (52%). Contreras went 4-of-7 beyond the arc (57.1%) and added four assists, four steals and a block. Kansas City improves to 2-0 when Tamia Ugass earns a double-double; she brought down 12 boards and earned 12 points.
The Roos struggled to find their rhythm in the first half, opening the first two quarters on four-minute scoring droughts. The Mavericks held KC to eight points in the second frame to put them up by eight at the half, 34-26. Omaha secured its largest lead, 46-32, with 5:34 remaining in the third quarter. A pesky Kansas City defense forced a season-high tying 25 turnovers from Omaha and sparked 26 points for the KC offense. Strong defense helped the Roos chip away at the score allowing them to tie the game at 54 with 5:39 remaining. A handful of clutch baskets put the Roos up by two and a pair of free throw makes from Ugass and Lisa Thomas allowed KC to go up by four, ultimately securing the win.
Contreras and Emani Bennett combined for Kansas City's best three-point shooting performance of the season. The pair earned a season-high seven threes and helped KC to its best three-point percentage of the year at 41.2%. The Roos have now defeated three Summit League opponents after trailing at halftime. Today's win marks the most single-season conference victories in the Jackson-Durrett era, with four.
KEY MOMENTS | HIGHLIGHTS
1Q — 6:21 / 3-11 | Contreras fired off a wide-open corner three to stop an 11-0 run from Omaha. Contreras's basket was KC's first of the game and started the Roos on their own 11-0 scoring run.
1Q — 0:45 / 18-15 | Em. Bennett drained Kansas City's second three of the day from the same spot as Contreras. Her basket allowed the Roos to close the first quarter up by three and marked Kansas City's largest lead of the game so far.
2Q — 5:19 / 20-25 | Kansas City struggled from the field in the opening minutes of the second quarter. Contreras once again snapped KC's drought beating Mavericks' Grace Cave with her jump shot. Contreras's basket stopped a 10-0 Omaha run and kept Kansas City within five of UNO.
3Q — 6:15 / 32-42 | Contreras drove the ball toward the net, picking up a foul on her layup. Contreras's shot took a friendly roll, giving way to an and-one opportunity and bringing the Roos within 10 of Omaha on her free throw.
3Q — 1:22 / 45-50 | Ugass went up for the unguarded jumper at the top of the key thanks to an assist from Contreras. Contreras was involved in all but one basket in the third quarter earning 13 points and an assist.
4Q — 5:39 / 54-54 | Zaire Harrell kicked the ball out to Em. Bennett in the corner. Em. Bennett knocked down her second three of the day. This marked the second of three threes made by KC in four minutes. The third three put the Roos up by as many with 5:06 remaining.
4Q — 1:08 / 62-62 | Em. Bennett hit a third three to retie the game. An Omaha turnover on their next possession gave way to a Contreras jumper that put KC up by two. Both Ugass and Thomas knocked down a free throw to make it a two-possession game, all but securing the win.
STATS TO NOTE
UP NEXT
The Roos return home facing South Dakota (9-12, 3-4) on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
The Roos struggled to find their rhythm in the first half, opening the first two quarters on four-minute scoring droughts. The Mavericks held KC to eight points in the second frame to put them up by eight at the half, 34-26. Omaha secured its largest lead, 46-32, with 5:34 remaining in the third quarter. A pesky Kansas City defense forced a season-high tying 25 turnovers from Omaha and sparked 26 points for the KC offense. Strong defense helped the Roos chip away at the score allowing them to tie the game at 54 with 5:39 remaining. A handful of clutch baskets put the Roos up by two and a pair of free throw makes from Ugass and Lisa Thomas allowed KC to go up by four, ultimately securing the win.
Contreras and Emani Bennett combined for Kansas City's best three-point shooting performance of the season. The pair earned a season-high seven threes and helped KC to its best three-point percentage of the year at 41.2%. The Roos have now defeated three Summit League opponents after trailing at halftime. Today's win marks the most single-season conference victories in the Jackson-Durrett era, with four.
KEY MOMENTS | HIGHLIGHTS
1Q — 6:21 / 3-11 | Contreras fired off a wide-open corner three to stop an 11-0 run from Omaha. Contreras's basket was KC's first of the game and started the Roos on their own 11-0 scoring run.
1Q — 0:45 / 18-15 | Em. Bennett drained Kansas City's second three of the day from the same spot as Contreras. Her basket allowed the Roos to close the first quarter up by three and marked Kansas City's largest lead of the game so far.
2Q — 5:19 / 20-25 | Kansas City struggled from the field in the opening minutes of the second quarter. Contreras once again snapped KC's drought beating Mavericks' Grace Cave with her jump shot. Contreras's basket stopped a 10-0 Omaha run and kept Kansas City within five of UNO.
3Q — 6:15 / 32-42 | Contreras drove the ball toward the net, picking up a foul on her layup. Contreras's shot took a friendly roll, giving way to an and-one opportunity and bringing the Roos within 10 of Omaha on her free throw.
3Q — 1:22 / 45-50 | Ugass went up for the unguarded jumper at the top of the key thanks to an assist from Contreras. Contreras was involved in all but one basket in the third quarter earning 13 points and an assist.
4Q — 5:39 / 54-54 | Zaire Harrell kicked the ball out to Em. Bennett in the corner. Em. Bennett knocked down her second three of the day. This marked the second of three threes made by KC in four minutes. The third three put the Roos up by as many with 5:06 remaining.
4Q — 1:08 / 62-62 | Em. Bennett hit a third three to retie the game. An Omaha turnover on their next possession gave way to a Contreras jumper that put KC up by two. Both Ugass and Thomas knocked down a free throw to make it a two-possession game, all but securing the win.
STATS TO NOTE
- Contreras bested her career-high by one, knocking down 32 points. Today was her second 30-point performance of the year and seventh 20-plus point performance of the season. She has earned 20 or more points in four of the last five games.
- Before today's game, the Roos were shooting 23.6% from three and averaging 3.1 threes per game. They set a new season-high in threes with seven and their best three-point percentage of the year at 41.2%
- Ugass notched her second double-double of the season, matching her season-high in rebounds with 12.
- The Roos are now 3-12 this season when they have a lower field goal percentage then their opponents and 3-8 when being outrebounded.
UP NEXT
The Roos return home facing South Dakota (9-12, 3-4) on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Team Stats
KC
UNO
FG%
.409
.500
3FG%
.412
.308
FT%
.385
.647
RB
30
41
TO
10
25
STL
12
5
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
32
FGM
13
3FGM
4
FTM
2
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
5
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
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/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's BasketballF
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