After the final game of the regular season for the Kansas City Roos women’s basketball team, Head Coach Dionnah Jackson-Durett expressed her frustration at the outcome.
The Roos experienced a 38-point loss to Oral Roberts on Kansas City’s Senior Day, March 2.
“That was rough,” Jackson-Durett stated. “It was rough to watch, rough to be a part of.”
The Roos went 3-13 in conference play, 12-19 overall. While the team technically improved in the win percentage statistic, it had the same number of conference wins as last season.
In Jackson-Durett’s second year, the team showed little improvement. While player retention improved, the players on the court had trouble finding rhythm and consistency.
The University of Missouri women’s basketball team had a similar season to Kansas City. It went 11-18 overall, 2-14 in conference. Yet, when the two teams met in Mizzou Arena the Tigers walked out with a 43-point win, beating the Roos 85-42.
Missouri has more funding and name recognition than Kansas City; however, that loss paints the picture of KC’s season well.
There was one Summit League team that Kansas City had the better of this season: the Omaha Mavericks.
On Jan. 20, the Mavericks met the Roos in the Swinney Center in Kansas City. The Roos won by 14, 88-74. About a month later, the Roos beat the Mavericks again, this time 72-56, at Baxter Arena in Omaha, Nebraska.
Two of the team’s three conference wins came against the Mavericks. Conveniently, that is the team KC takes on in the first round of the Summit League Championships.
While things haven’t lined up ideally for the Roos, last season’s circumstances heading into the tournament cannot be forgotten.
The Roos were down to seven players available. “The Mighty Seven,” they called themselves. They went on a run all the way to the semifinals of the tournament. Even then, they only lost by nine points. While the Roos have struggled this season, it’s possible for them to muster up the same strength for the tournament.
To find out, listen to the live call of the game for free on the RooTV YouTube channel. All games the Roos men’s and women’s teams play in will be broadcasted from the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
