Kansas City Takes on #2 Oral Roberts in Summit League Semifinals

THE STARTERS

The most recent postseason meeting between Kansas City and Oral Roberts came on March 8, 2010, when the #4 Roos fell to the #1 Golden Eagles 71-77 in the Semifinals. KC holds an all-time 2-6 record when facing the #2 seed in the conference tournament.
KC defeated North Dakota State in wire-to-wire fashion yesterday, 68-58. The win marks the Roos' fourth postseason win over the Bison and the third tournament win over NDSU in four years.
Elauni Bennett was a threat on both ends of the court for KC, scoring a career-high 20 points and bringing down 14 rebounds in her third double-double of the season. She shot 80% from the field (8/10). El. Bennett's twin sister Emani Bennett was the most recent Roo to shoot 80% or better from the field in the postseason when she went 8-of-10 against Omaha on March 8, 2024.
Yesterday's win marked the first time that four Kansas City players scored in double-digits in a postseason game since the Roos took down Chicago State in the WAC Quarterfinals on Mar. 11, 2020.
Kelby Bannerman went for a career-high four blocks against NDSU. She now ties for second in blocks in a single game during the postseason. Bannerman became the first Roo to earn four blocks in a single game of the postseason since Alysa Klein put up five blocks against IUPUI on March 10, 2008. Kelin holds the all-time single-game block record in the postseason.

SCOUTING ORAL ROBERTS

The Golden Eagles enter the game with a recovery day in their favor. Oral Roberts defeated South Dakota on Thursday, 70-50. The meeting between ORU and USD was the quickest game, in real time, of the tournament so far, coming in at one hour and 26 minutes. Kansas City's game against NDSU was the slowest game of the tournament thus far, at two hours and four minutes.
Going into the game, the Golden Eagles hold a 4-0 record over Kansas City in their postseason meetings. The pair have met twice in the quarterfinals, once in the semifinals and once in the championship.
Across tournament play, the Roos have snagged the most steals, with 11. The Golden Eagles on the other hand have the fewest turnovers among all competitors with five.
Four Golden Eagles reached double-digits in their win over South Dakota. Meghan Weinrich had her first double-double of the season with 10 rebounds and 13 points.

University of Missouri Kansas City Athletics