by BROOKINGS, S.D. —Kansas City Women’s Basketball (11-16, 2-10) got to a slow start from the field and were unable to find their rhythm falling 74-53 to SDSU (19-5, 11-0). Alayna Contreras was the only Roo to reach double-digits, earning 12 points. Strong defense from SDSU kept the Roos cold from the field. The Blue and Gold shot 35.7% from the field compared to South Dakota’s 42.4%. By the end of the first half, Ifunanya Nwachukwu, Elauni Bennett and Contreras led the team in scoring with four points each. The Roos and the Jackrabbits each brought down 18 rebounds in the first half, but a 10-point scoring run in the first ten minutes allowed SDSU to enter the break, up 35-21.
The Roos came out ready to fight in the third quarter, putting up their highest scoring ten minutes and posting 20 points as a team, 17 of which were knocked down by the bench. In the third period, both Kelby Bannerman and Dominique Phillips led the team in scoring, earning six points each. Nariyah Simmons and Lisa Thomas backed the team with assists, notching three each in the third. Along with earning most of its assists in the third, Kansas City saw its best shooting, going 47.1% from the field and notching ten points in the paint. While the Blue and Gold got hot in the third, it was not enough to dethrone the current Summit League leaders. SDSU locked down in the fourth, holding KC to 12 points to maintain their undefeated conference record.
