Kangaroos ground Division II Newman 81-32

Women's Basketball

By: Dan Stroud

Posted: 12/3/07

01.02.08 - UMKC women's head basketball coach Candace White-Whitaker is hopeful her Kangaroo squad will use their opening game of the 2008 calendar year as a spring board to bigger and much brighter things in the months that follow.

With temperatures in the teens outdoors and a balmy 82 degrees early in game action inside Sweeney Recreation Center, the Roos cruised to an easy 81-32 victory over the Newman University Jets on Wednesday night.

"We really wanted to put a game like this on the schedule right after the holiday break to knock some of the rust off and use as a tune-up for league play," White-Whitaker said. "For the most part, I was very pleased with the girls' effort."

UMKC proved dominant in nearly every facet of the game including size, speed and shot-making ability. At halftime, holding a 42-14 lead, the Roos held a 51.4 percent field goal percentage, including 50 percent from the three-point arc. By game's end, that percentage would increase to 53.2.

The Jets had five field goals in the opening period on 22.7 percent shooting. It would get worse for the NCAA Division II squad in the next twenty minutes of play. They would finish the contest hitting just 11 of 49 shots taken in the game for a 22.4 percentage.

It was UMKC that would do all of the flying on this night, opening the second half with a 26-3 run and a 68-24 lead with eight minutes to play in the game.

UMKC senior guard Brittny Picconi led all scorers with 18 points before being pulled from the contest by White-Whitaker with more than 10 minutes of action remaining to be played. The move seemed an offering of mercy to Newman, as Piconni had hit seven of her nine shots from the field including four treys in six tries.

In perhaps her best performance since December 2006, Picconi, who was nursing a head cold, seemed to take it in stride.

"I've never given up on my shot," Picconi said. "I was relaxed tonight. I just played."

But Picconi had even more to say about her teammates and their efforts.

"I think we're playing well together," Picconi said. "We have a great chance to go far in the Summit this year if we keep working."

White-Whitaker seemed to enjoy the shooting exhibition but had more to say about the other aspect of Picconi's improving game.

"I think Brittny played really well tonight," White-Whitaker said. "She really worked on her defense and came up with some key rebounds when we needed them."

The game no longer in question, White-Whitaker seemed to unload her bench looking at different player combinations, closing out the contest without making a shot attempt in the final possession.

UMKC is now 7-6 on the season and holds a 0-2 Summit record heading into Saturday afternoon's action against Western Illinois University at Municipal Auditorium. The game against the Westerwinds has a 4 p.m. start at the front end of a UMKC men's and women's double header.

dstroud@unews.com