Spring Break
The UMKC men's basketball team opened the 2006-2007 Mid-Continent Conference season with a hard-fought victory, 66-62, over the Southern Utah University Thunderbirds on Saturday night at Municipal Auditorium. Sophomore Alex Pledger led the way with 14 points and seven rebounds, not to mention three blocked shots.
The UMKC women's basketball team opened up Mid-Continent Conference play with a decisive 64-48 victory over Southern Utah on Saturday afternoon at Municipal Auditorium. Freshman guard Chazny Morris led the Kangaroos with 13 points in a game that UMKC controlled from the opening tip.
Newly-appointed Interim Basketball Head Coach Candace White isn't ready to talk about her future much past the end of April. But that doesn't mean she lacks ambition. "I'm in this business to be a head coach," said White. "If that's now or if that's in the future, it is ultimately a goal of mine.
Working in a bank isn't enough. Checking the ticker from a desk in the Heartland cannot compare. No, UMKC junior forward Brent Stephens has to run with the bulls and try to outsmart the bears. Wall Street is the place for him. Living, eating and breathing the market in New York City might seem like a lofty goal for some, but to Stephens, it's just another achievement not yet accomplished.
"Like sands through the hour glass, so are the days of our lives." So starts an episode of "Days" for UMKC junior guard Brittny Picconi on a typical off day. Then again, one shouldn't forget the joy of the burn in a good spin class. Picconi didn't start her journey as a student athlete at UMKC - she originally attended Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio - but she's glad she made the switch.
The UMKC women's basketball team struggled through a five-game stretch in December, dropping four out of five contests and losing Head Coach Bo Overton to the WNBA in the process. The Kangaroo women suffered defeats at the hands of St. Louis University, Kansas State, Central Arkansas, and Texas Christian University, while posting their lone victory over Chicago State.
The UMKC men's basketball squad won just two games during the semester break, including the last non-conference game against Chicago State and one other home contest against Central Arkansas. The five losses suffered at the hands of two Top 25 teams in Wichita State and Maryland - and three against teams that seemed more winnable before the season began - underscored the need for more consistent play as the Mid-Continent Conference season gets underway.
UMKC hires new volleyball coach Geno Frugoli has been hired as the new head volleyball coach for the UMKC Kangaroo squad. Frugoli comes to UMKC after spending the past three seasons as the top assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Baylor Bears of the Big XII Conference.
