Tulsa Showdown: Kansas City Women’s Basketball Faces Oral Roberts

TULSA, Okla. — In an exciting matchup, the Kansas City Women’s Basketball team (9-18, 5-7) surged to an impressive start but ultimately fell to the high-scoring Oral Roberts (20-6, 10-3) with a final score of 88-109. Kansas City kept the pressure on, remaining competitive in the first quarter and staging a determined comeback attempt in the fourth. They managed to trim a significant 24-point lead held by Oral Roberts down to just 12 in the last six minutes of play, but their efforts were not enough as the Golden Eagles secured the victory in the closing moments.

Outstanding Performances

Junior star Alayna Contreras ignited the offense with her stellar 33-point game, marking her third career performance of 30 points or more. She was well-supported by Emani Bennett, who contributed 20 points, shooting 4-of-8 in the fourth quarter. Lisa Thomas also added her name to the scoresheet with 10 points, making 4-of-5 field goals. Notably, the Roos excelled on the boards, dominating the rebounding game with a 41-to-31 advantage and securing 15 offensive rebounds. Elauni Bennett stood out defensively as well, recording a game-high 14 rebounds despite the team’s loss.

Key Moments and Highlights

First Quarter

4:38 | Score: 16-10 – Contreras launched a three-pointer from the top of the arc, providing Kansas City with a crucial six-point lead over the Golden Eagles.

Second Quarter

7:31 | Score: 23-37 – After a fast break, Thomas executed a layup while drawing a foul, successfully converting the and-one to snap Kansas City’s scoring lull that had persisted since the first quarter.

Third Quarter

5:29 | Score: 52-68 – With finesse, Contreras found space and sank a jumper, marking her 21st point and concluding a 12-4 run for Kansas City.

Fourth Quarter

9:07 | Score: 66-85 – Emani Bennett hit back-to-back three-pointers, the first assisted by Contreras, which narrowed the deficit to 19 points.

5:41 | Score: 79-91 – Drawing a shooting foul during a fast break, Emani Bennett calmly sank both free throws to draw Kansas City within 12. Despite trades in scoring between both teams, the Golden Eagles maintained their edge until the final buzzer.

Statistics of Interest

• Elauni Bennett achieved her best rebounding performance against a Division One opponent, pulling down 14 rebounds overall and logging a game-high nine in the first half.
• The Roos tied their season-high for free throw attempts with 30, converting 22 of them for a total of 22 points from the charity stripe.
• Contreras equaled her season-high for three-pointers by making four shots from beyond the arc for the third time this season, joining Emani Bennett, who also accomplished this feat against Denver on January 15.

Next Game

Looking ahead, the Kansas City Women’s Basketball team will return home to face St. Thomas (15-10, 7-5) on Thursday at 1 p.m. Join us in supporting our team as they aim for victory!