Spring Break
The Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles surged out to a 19-point lead, then found themselves hanging on to defeat the UMKC Kangaroos 75-68 on an icy Saturday night inside Municipal Auditorium. The Roos played in front of 1,776 fans who braved the winter storm conditions that paralyzed much of the Heartland.
Oral Roberts University (ORU) - led by three-time first-team All-Mid-Con Conference forward Elisha Turek's 21 points and 15 rebounds - downed UMKC 66-45 last Saturday afternoon at Muncipal Auditorium. "You've got to give Oral Roberts a lot of credit, they came ready to play," said UMKC Interim Head Coach Candace White.
The streets of Kansas City should be a whole lot safer in a few months if UMKC senior forward Stephanie Brown turns out to be as good at protecting and serving as she has been on the basketball court. Brown, who plans to graduate this summer with a degree in criminal justice has spent the past two seasons doing all she can to improve the women's basketball squad's chances of not just competing but winning in the Mid-Continent Conference.
UMKC junior Sky Hagy, a business administration major at the Henry W. Bloch School of Business and Public Administration, says he would like to leave something memorable behind when he finishes his collegiate track-and-field career. Setting a record in one of the throwing events he competes in would fit the bill.
The men's basketball team, after leading by as many as 19 points early in the second half of action, held on to defeat Mid-Continent Conference rival Centenary 80-75 last Thursday night at Municipal Auditorium. The game was highlighted by what looked to be the return of senior guard Quinton Day's shooting touch.
Senior center Stephanie Brown matched her UMKC career high, netting 21 points as the Kangaroos got their second win in a row, topping the Cougars of Chicago State 52-41 last Monday afternoon at Swinney Recreation Center. Offensively, Brown dominated inside throughout the game, especially midway through the second half when she took over the scoring for the Roos, connecting on a series of jump shots and lay ups which sustained the UMKC team who had problems getting their shots to fall.
The track-and-field squad participated in the Missouri Indoor Invitational last Friday on the campus of the University of Missouri-Columbia. In addition to the UMKC delegation, track-and-field teams from the University of Missouri-Rolla, Drake University, Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, Wichita State University, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, Lindenwood College, Lincoln and Missouri Baptist College competed.
Pledger named Mid-Con Player of the Week UMKC sophomore center Alex Pledger rounded out a breakthrough week by notching his first Mid-Continent Player of the Week award for the week ending Jan. 8. The big man averaged 12.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in a week that saw the Kangaroos go 2-1.
