Kansas City
7-17,4-7Summit League
North Dakota
7-18,3-8Summit League
Kansas City Outmatched in Late Stages by North Dakota
2/7/2026 4:55:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Elauni Bennett finished with a double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 11 rebounds
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Kansas City Women's Basketball (7-17, 4-7) hung close with North Dakota (7-18, 3-8) but failed to make up enough ground in the end, falling by a score of 58-68 on Saturday afternoon inside the Swinney Center. The Roos were down just three heading into the fourth quarter but yielded a minus-seven point run which swung the game open for the Fighting Hawks by the final buzzer. Elauni Bennett reached her seventh double-double of the season, scoring 12 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, seven of which came on the offensive side of the glass.
After a few empty possessions to start, Kansas City got the offense rolling when they fed the ball to El. Bennett along the interior. The Roos in-and-out game proved to be tough for the opposition's defense as the extra attention towards El. Bennett allowed Jamyah Winter to find herself open for a three ball to put KC up 8-4 at the 6:34 mark of the first quarter. The Fighting Hawks responded on a 9-0 scoring run that was broken up by El. Bennett's offensive rebound and putback layup that touched the top of the backboard and dropped through the net.
Early into the second quarter, Tierra Trotter worked her way past a defender and got a jump shot to fall, reclaiming KC's lead to 16-15 less than a minute into the frame. The Roos mid-range game remained strong as in-between jumpers from Zaire Harrell and Emani Bennett kept Kansas City's offense moving along in the second. The Roos created their own version of showtime when Trinity Chears nabbed a steal and sent a behind-the-back pass to Claudia Frances for the fancy fast break play.
North Dakota began the second half on a 7-4 scoring run but two-point scores by Em. Bennett and Alyssa Febres tied the game at 37 all halfway through the third. Kansas City went on a strong 9-0 run over the span of four minutes in the quarter that went in the books as the Roos biggest lead of the game. The Fighting Hawks went on a 9-2 run to close the quarter and put KC down three heading into the fourth. The game's final frame proved to be a decisive one as UND shot 63% in the fourth while Kansas City went 25%, shooting 4-16 from the floor.
Em. Bennett led the Roos in scoring with 13 points and five rebounds while Harrell produced 12 points, three rebounds and four steals while going 6-6 from the free throw line. Kansas City shot 35% from the field for the game while North Dakota totaled 50% shooting overall. The Roos only made 27% of their shots from three point range while UND hit 39% from downtown. The Roos forced North Dakota into 20 turnovers, the most in a game since KC's last time out against the Fighting Hawks back in January.
Net up for Kansas City is a trip up to South Dakota at 7 p.m. next Thursday.
