UMKC women’s basketball fall short at Western Illinois

The women’s basketball team from UMKC played visitor in its first game of the 2017-18 regular season, and the Summit League champion Western Illinois Leathernecks weren’t accommodating hosts.

New head coach Jacie Hoyt will have to wait at least a few more days to get the first official win of her career as a head coach. Despite getting five players into double figures on Friday night, UMKC suffered a 90-71 defeat at the hands of their host, the Leathernecks of Western Illinois.

The non-conference loss moves the Roos to 0-1 on the season, but the final score isn’t indicative of how close the contest was through the game’s first three quarters.

Through the first 12 minutes of play, the game was fairly even. Western Illinois went on an early second-quarter run to take a seven-point advantage, but that was quickly answered by an offensive outburst by the Roos over the remainder of the quarter. UMKC shot 61 percent from the field in the second quarter, including 57 percent from 3-point range, to make the halftime score 41-38, with the Leathernecks leading.

More from KC Kingdom

• Win $650 GUARANTEED Plus $100 Off NFL Sunday Ticket With Caesars, FanDuel and DraftKings Kansas Promos!
• This Plus-Money Bobby Witt Jr. Prop Bet is on Fire (Hit in 15/21 Games)!
• How to Bet on the Chiefs vs. Cardinals in NFL Preseason Week 2
• The Royals Need to Extend Bobby Witt Jr. Immediately
• The 3 Most Intriguing Games on the Chiefs’ Schedule

The beginning of the third quarter played out much as the first two had, with both teams making runs but neither putting any significant distance between themselves and their opponents. Unfortunately for UMKC, Western Illinois finally figured out how to do that as the third quarter waned and the fourth quarter began.

A 19-4 run by the Leathernecks over the third quarter’s final and fourth quarter’s opening minutes was sufficient to force UMKC to abandon its regular game plan and extend the contest. Western Illinois performed well enough at the free throw line to make that point moot, however.

It’s going to be difficult for Hoyt’s squad to win when it allows 90 points, and in the game, one of her concerns that she had about the team during the preseason became evident. The Leathernecks’ bench outscored the Roos’ reserves 27-11, showing why Hoyt had concerns about the team’s depth.

One bright spot there was senior guard India Johnson, who came off the bench and contributed 10 points. The other Roos in double figures were four of the game’s five starters. Junior forward Kristen Moore led all UMKC scorers with 22 points, followed by senior guard Aries Washington’s 16 and 11 by both senior forward Kiana Law and senior guard Samantha Waldron.

Law also led the Roos in rebounds with 12 to register a double-double. She further augmented her individual performance by leading the team in assists with five.

Next: Kansas City Chiefs: 10 free agents that could help the defense

The Roos will look to get their first win of the season in Waldron’s native state on Tuesday, Nov. 14, when they travel to Lincoln, Neb., to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers. If UMKC can tighten up its defense and get more contributions from other roster pieces, it could be Hoyt’s first win as a head coach.