Kansas City
5-13,2-3Summit League
Oral Roberts
10-8,3-2Summit League
Emani Bennett Eclipses 1,000 Point Mark in Loss to Oral Roberts
1/15/2026 9:23:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Bennett surpassed 1,000 career points at the 5:52 mark of the fourth quarter thanks to an offensive rebound and putback layup
TULSA, Okla. – Kansas City Women's Basketball (5-13, 2-3) only trailed by a point at halftime but failed to execute to the same standard in the second half, leading to a 65-81 defeat on the road to Oral Roberts (10-8, 3-2). Despite not ending up with the result that KC wanted, the Roos saw history take place on Thursday night as Emani Bennett eclipsed the 1,000 career points mark with a putback layup at the 5:52 mark of the fourth quarter. Em. Bennett is the 18th player in program history to accomplish the feat and did so while playing in the fourth fewest games (81) of anyone on the list.
Kansas City kept pace with Oral Roberts to start the game as Elauni Bennett scored the Roos first five points and nine of their first 12 points. El. Bennett had double digit points and over five rebounds by the end of the first quarter. KC allowed a 10-0 run in the middle portion of the first but were able to steal some momentum back when Alyssa Febres connected on a buzzer-beating three-point heave from the ORU logo.
Kansas City remained composed in the second quarter battling basket-for-basket with the Golden Eagles and taking a 29-27 lead thanks to a Jamyah Winter three pointer at the 3:47 mark. Following a 5-0 Oral Roberts stretch, El. Bennett closed the first half by forcing the issue on a spinning layup to beat the shot clock buzzer and send the Roos into the locker room only down a point, 31-32.
After halftime it was the Tierra Trotter show as the graduate point guard scored eight straight points for the Roos to keep KC level. Winter continued to bring an offensive spark in the third, drilling back-to-back triples and putting the Lincoln Memorial transfer up to four made three pointers for the game. The Golden Eagles finished the third quarter on a 17-6 run, breaking out to a double digit lead in the process.
Despite key baskets from Zaire Harrell and Trotter to open the fourth, the Roos couldn't put together the scoring run necessary to mount a comeback. El. Bennett totaled 20 points and 12 rebounds, her fifth double-double outing of the season and ninth of her career to date. The junior guard out of Lee's Summit, Mo. also shot a blistering 82% from the field and hauled in eight offensive rebounds.
Four Roos notched double figure scoring performances for the first time since KC's 68-58 win over NDSU in the quarterfinal round of the 2025 Summit League Tournament Harrell recorded 14 points on 50% shooting with seven rebounds, making it the second straight game where Harrell has posted double digit points. Trotter and Winter supplied an important source of offense for the Roos, both finishing with a dozen points each against the Golden Eagles.
Kansas City struggled to keep up with Oral Roberts firepower offensively as the Roos shot just 39% from the floor to ORU's 55%. The Roos also hit 30% from three point range while the Golden Eagles converted 60%, going 6-10 for the game. KC outrebounded ORU 39-31 in the glass overall and hauled in 12 more offensive rebounds, totaling 19 in the game. Turnovers were the Roos primary bugaboo as Kansas City committed 19 turnovers which ORU converted into 17 points and 14 points on the fast break. Kansas City only forced Oral Roberts into 12 turnovers themselves, seven under their season average.
Kansas City returns home to the Swinney Center to take on St. Thomas at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
