by SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Kansas City Women’s Basketball’s (9-22) unprecedented postseason run continued on Saturday afternoon as the Roos defeated #2 North Dakota State (18-11), 71-67, to advance to the Summit League Semifinals for the second year in-a-row. E’Lease Stafford, Machia Mullens and Manna Mensah held the court down for the Roos, each playing the full 40 minutes as Kansas City remained shorthanded with only seven players available.
The Roos jumped on the Bison early, jumping out to a double-digit lead within the first half. Kansas City extended its lead out to as many as 17 points midway through the third quarter when NDSU mounted its comeback efforts. The Roos were able to sustain a Bison run, coming up with big stops late to hold NDSU to 15.4% fourth quarter shooting.
For the second-straight game, it was Mensah that shouldered the load of KC’s offensive efforts, going for 25 points and sending home 10 field goals. Stafford was not far behind with a 17-point night, and Tamia Ugass flirted with a double-double, going for nine points and pulling down 11 rebounds.
Head Coach Dionnah Jackson-Durrett
“I can’t say it enough, how proud I am of this team. Basketball is a game of runs, and a good team like North Dakota State is going to go on their runs, but Kansas City, we sustained that run as level-headed as we could possibly be, and we came out with the win.”
“What I want for this team to understand is that, when March gets here, and it’s the postseason, everybody’s playing their best basketball … At the end of the day, when you come in to March, anything can happen, anybody can win.”
E’Lease Stafford
“We tell [the role players] that we believe in them to make that shot … it’s a bad shot if you don’t take it, you’re either going to make it or miss it, so we believe in them.”
“Having a coach that’s really invested in you on-and-off the court, it means a lot and it helps with your game.”
