(Kansas City, Mo.) – UMKC women’s basketball wiped out an 11-point deficit to take down Grand Canyon in WAC play on Sunday afternoon at GCU Arena in Phoenix, Ariz., outscoring the Lopes 23-13 in the fourth quarter.
“There is a lot of basketball still to be played but we are excited to get a road win,” Head Coach Marsha Frese said. “I can’t say enough about our depth tonight and how dialed in they were to their jobs. Kristen Moore was phenomenal both defending and rebounding for us and Ceidra and Kelsey gave us great sparks off the bench. We pride ourselves on our depth so it was great to see everyone so committed to their roles today and the success that came from it.”
Aries Washington led the UMKC attack with 18 points, shooting 8-of-10 from the field, eight rebounds and three assists, while Kristen Moore added seven rebounds and matched her career-high with 14 points of the bench as the Kangaroo reserves outscored GCU’s bench 26-0.
“Our team is still focusing on things that we can control and focusing on what we believe about ourselves,” Washington said. “Growth every day and every game is what it’s about.”
With the win, UMKC improves to 7-12 overall and 2-4 in the WAC, while Grand Canyon slips to 10-11 on the season and 2-3 in the conference.
The ‘Roos fell behind by as many as eight in the opening stanza when the Lopes scored 10 of the game’s first 12 points, but UMKC answered back with six straight from Moore to cut the lead to two.
The Lopes though would stretch the lead back to six twice more, including at the end of the quarter at 16-10.
In the second, GCU built its lead to a game-high 11 at 28-17 with just 2:38 remaining, but Moore started a 6-0 rally to close the half that Taylor Leathers capped with back-to-back jumpers, making it 28-23 at the break.
Grand Canyon’s lead grew to eight midway throw the third, when the ‘Roos began to chip away, cutting the lead to four at 44-40 entering the fourth.
Washington struck first to start the final period and, after a basket by GCU, Samantha Waldron and Moore hit on back-to-back possessions to tie the game at 46-46.
The Lopes quickly retook the lead, but it would be for the final time as Washington and Ceidra Coleman connected on the ‘Roos next two possessions to give UMKC its first lead of the game at 50-48 with just over six minutes remaining.
Grand Canyon tied the game on their next possession, but Kiana Law put the Kangaroos back in front and Coleman followed with four straight to stretch UMKC’s lead to six.
The Lopes would trim the lead down to four twice more, but could get no closer as the ‘Roos came away with the victory.
Waldron finished with nine points and Leathers tallied eight, while Kelsey Barrett and Coleman both finished with six.
The Blue & Gold will be back in action again on Saturday when they head to Illinois to renew their rivalry with Chicago State at 2 p.m.