The Kansas City Roos women’s basketball team found itself in a position to make a big splash on Saturday afternoon against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits.
However, as the final buzzer sounded, the Roos had been thoroughly beaten, 80-60.
“With a team like that, you have to play 40 minutes,” said head coach Dionnah Jackson-Durrett. “I thought we competed for three quarters. But in the end, you have a kid like Brooklyn Meyer who can take over a game, it wears on you a little bit in the fourth quarter.”
South Dakota State’s women’s basketball team ranked 24 in the most recent Women’s Basketball Coaches Association top 25 poll.
With that, the Jackrabbits have not lost a regular season Summit League game since Jan. 8, 2022. Heading into Saturday, the team was on a 60-game conference winning streak.
That’s why the halftime score, 39-36 in favor of the Jackrabbits, was very impressive.
While Kansas City ultimately lost the game, there were parts that Jackson-Durrett was proud of.
“To shut a team down from three like that? They shot 6-26 from three. That’s something to be proud of,” said Jackson-Durrett.
In the first half, junior guard Alayna Contreras was lighting up the arena from behind the three point line. She finished the half with 19 points, but slowed down tremendously in the second, finishing the game with 24 points.
“I don’t think South Dakota State changed anything,” said Jackson-Durrett. “Alayna was still shooting the ball, but we had to put her at point guard. Sometimes her flow slows down when we put her at the point.”
Sophomore guard Emani Bennett took over some of the shooting in the second half, ending up with 14 total points.
After a loss, players are not made available for comment.
Next, the Roos head up to North Dakota to take on the North Dakota State Bison, then the North Dakota Fighting Hawks. After that, the team stays on the road for the Summit League Basketball Championships in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Currently, the Roos are the fifth seed in the Summit League at 6-8 in conference play. However, the outcomes of the final two games could change the seeding dramatically.
The championship tournament takes place March 5-9. Tickets can be found at this link.
