KCKingdom
Fansided

UMKC men and women get wins to close out non-conference schedules

By Derek Helling

RALEIGH, NC - DECEMBER 09: NC State and UMKC players jockey for the rebound during the game between the North Carolina State Wolfpack and the UMKC Kangaroos on December 9, 2017 at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, NC. NC State won 88-69. (Photo by Brian Utesch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC - DECEMBER 09: NC State and UMKC players jockey for the rebound during the game between the North Carolina State Wolfpack and the UMKC Kangaroos on December 9, 2017 at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, NC. NC State won 88-69. (Photo by Brian Utesch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The men’s and women’s basketball teams from UMKC were playing their final non-conference games of the 2017-18 season on Tuesday night, and both teams arrived at victories, in differing fashions.

The UMKC men’s basketball team (5-11) and women’s basketball team (4-11) needed momentum boosts going into their first Western Athletic Conference games of the 2017-18 season, which will be on Saturday in a home-and-home against UT Rio Grande Valley.

A come-from-behind 79-77 win at USC Upstate this past Tuesday for the men and a dominant 90-10 route by the women at Swinney Recreation Center on the same night should have supplied those boosts.

In the men’s game, USC Upstate used a barrage of 3-point baskets (8-of-16) to build a 16-point lead with 2:27 left in the first half, but that would be the high tide for the Spartans on the night. The Roos were able to close the Upstate lead to five before the break, and continued their efforts in the second half.

A huge part of what led to the turnaround was a renewed defensive effort by UMKC. The Roos limited the Spartans to 2-of-11 shooting from 3-point range in the second half. Complementing that was successful penetration into the Upstate defense. UMKC attempted 28 shots in the second half, and only six of those were 3-point attempts. The final aspect that led to the victory was a 15-to-7 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Leading the Roos on the night was sophomore guard Isaiah Ross with 21 points. Senior guard Broderick Robinson was right behind him with 20. Sophomore forward Jordan Giles compiled 15 points and tied with Robinson for the team lead in rebounds with six. Junior forward Aleer Leek had 13 points despite being ejected with almost four minutes left in the game. Sophomore guard Xavier Bishop led the team in assists with six.

Meanwhile back in Kansas City, there was no comeback needed for the Roo women against Central Christian College of Moberly, Missouri. The Saints only dressed six players for the contest, and the NCCAA squad was outmatched not only by UMKC’s depth, but size as well. The Roos were able to keep Central off the scoreboard entirely for the first 11:14 of the game.

UMKC took advantage of the opportunity to get its reserves some crucial minutes ahead of their conference opener. Ten Roos saw at least 15 minutes on the court, and UMKC got to 90 points despite senior guard Samantha Waldron being shutout in her 23 minutes on the court. Head coach Jacie Hoyt spoke about the opportunity to get the reps in after the game.

"“We felt like it was really important just to get them reps and minutes and just to build their confidence. There’s going to be a time when we do need them in conference play so for them to come in and have that confidence that they can execute our sets and our defense and score the ball, we felt like that was huge going into conference.”"

Leading the Roos on the night was senior guard Aries Washington, who complemented her recent accolade of 1,000 career points by reaching 500 career rebounds during the game. Washington had 18 points. Junior guard Kristen Moore came just one rebound short of a double-double with 14 points. Senior guard India Johnson netted 11 points. Senior guard Daijane Dillard led the team with seven assists.

Sophomore forward Bri Stiers and freshman guard Taylor Larson both came off the bench to contribute 11 points in the contest. Larson ended the night in a three-way tie with Dillard and Waldron for the team lead in steals with five. Larson spoke to the team’s attitude going into conference play and what getting the time on the court meant for her.

"“It [getting the minutes] means a lot actually. We work really hard in practice, everybody, and making sure we are getting our reps and knowing what we are doing, getting reps in and working really hard everybody as a whole. [We’re] really excited [about conference play] day-by-day, looking to get one percent better everyday as that leads into the conference.”"

Both teams will face their respective counterparts at UT Rio Grande Valley to open WAC play on Saturday, Jan. 6. The women will be in Edinburg, Texas while the men will play host at Municipal Auditorium. Tip-offs for both games will be at 7 p.m. CT.

Next: Mizzou Basketball: Best head coaches of all-time for Missouri

The women will hope to replicate some of their dominance on Saturday while the men will try to repeat their performance from the second half of Tuesday night’s games. If they can do so, both teams should start WAC play with a win.

Home/UMKC Kangaroos