KC Roos women’s basketball welcomes 2024 with blowout win; men’s team drops close call
The KC Roos women’s basketball team rung in a new year with a 75-56 home victory over the Portland State Vikings (5-8), snapping a three-game losing streak that concluded the 2023 part of the season.
The win puts KC back to .500 on the season; the Roos improved to 8-8.
The Roos led for the duration of the contest on Wednesday, leading by as many as 30 toward the end of the 3rd quarter.
Freshman guard Emani Bennett bounced back from a two-point performance against St. Thomas (MN), leading the Roos in scoring with 11 points on Wednesday. Graduate forward Ifunanya Nwachukwu was the only other Roo to score in double-digits, putting up 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
Graduate forward Dominique Phillips and freshman guard Raychel Jones led the Roos with six rebounds apiece. Phillips and Jones also stood out defensively on Wednesday, with both players collecting two steals (as well as sophomore guard Zaire Hall). Additionally, Jones had two blocks.
For the Vikings, juniors Alaya Fitzgerald and Esmeralda Morales led the way with 14 points apiece, but Portland State couldn’t ever close the gap on the Roos.
Next up, the Roos head to Ogden, Utah, to take on the Weber State Wildcats. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. on Jan. 6.
KC Roos men’s basketball falls to Sacramento State
The men, on the other hand, were unable to welcome in 2024 with as much excitement.
The Roos kept close throughout their contest against the 3-10 Sacramento State Hornets but were unable to pull ahead late in a 67-64 loss.
In a game that featured six lead changes, KC was never able to pull more than three points ahead of the Hornets, compared to Sacramento State’s largest lead being 12 points.
The Hornets entered the second half with a 33-26 lead, but with just under three minutes to go, the Roos pulled within three (64-61).
But an ill-timed KC scoring drought — the Roos didn’t score again until a buzzer-beating 3, when they trailed by six — left them short of a comeback finish.
Roos junior Jamar Brown led the contest with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Junior Cameron Faas was the only other Roo in double-digits, posting 13 points and collecting eight rebounds.
For the Hornets, junior guard Austin Patterson led the way with 14 points. All five Sacramento State starters scored at least nine points.
Next up, the KC men’s team hosts Portland State at Swinney Center on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
