Kansas City “Mighty Seven” Earn Summit League Semi-Finals Bid, Upset North Dakota State

Kansas City’s cinderella run in the Summit League Tournament continues, as they collect a nail-biting 71-64 victory over the #2 seeded North Dakota State Bison.

  The Roos’ stormed out with an electrifying lead thanks to the spirited efforts of graduate guard E’Lease Stafford and junior forward Machia Mullens. The dynamic duo combined for 13 of Kansas City’s 18 first-quarter points. 

  Graduate guard Mannah Mensah continued her excellent Summit League Tournament performance with an outstanding 13-point second quarter, totaling the Roos lead to 41-29 at halftime. 

  In the third quarter, things for Kansas City got out of hand. The Bison took control to start the second half with a staggering 25-15 performance, trimming the Roos’ lead down to just single digits.

  Kansas City, once again facing adversity, seized its moment. As the fourth quarter commenced, they kept their composure and maintained their lead. Clutch three-point baskets by Stafford kept North Dakota State in check.

  The Roos stymied North Dakota State for the rest of the contest, never trailing in the game.

  As the seconds ticked away, reality set in for the team alongside everyone else inside the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center. The Kansas City Roos, a team that only amassed a mere three victories within the Summit League conference during the regular season, just defeated a top-shelf squad.

After the game, Mensah coined the Roos’ women’s basketball team a new nickname.

“[I’m going to] call us the ‘Mighty Seven,’” Mensah said. “We don’t care. We got nothing to lose, we’re always the underdogs. But we’re gonna go out there and play.”

  Kansas City has now earned itself a trip back to the Summit League semi-final round. This is the first time the Roos have won back-to-back games in the tournament since 2012.

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  With low expectations entering the tournament, Stafford reflected on the team’s adversity and tribulations throughout the season that saw multiple injuries and players step away.

“We’re just gonna rock with what we got,” Stafford said. “You’re either with us or against us, and we see it as, ‘we got who we got,’”

  Coach Dionnah Jackson-Durrett knows how crucial it is to recuperate, as three Roos played all 40 minutes.

  “It’s all about them. They’re doing everything,” Jackson-Durrett said. “I am so glad we have a day off to rest and recover.”

  Kansas City is set to face off on Monday, March 6 against the winner of Sunday’s contest between the North Dakota Fighting Hawks and the Omaha Mavericks. 

  The game will air on midicosports.com and stream on ESPN+. For live wire-to-wire Roos coverage, you can listen in on RooTV’s YouTube channel here. ROO UP!