FARGO, N.D. (Interstat) — North Dakota State used a dominant first half to roll past Missouri-Kansas City 77-54 in a women’s Summit League basketball game Thursday night at Scheels Arena. The Bison built a 44-29 halftime lead behind 22 points in each of the first two quarters and never looked back. Jocelyn Schiller led North Dakota State with 19 points, while Avery Koenen added 17 points and six assists. Elauni Bennett scored 14 points for the Kangaroos, who shot just 35.4% from the floor. North Dakota State improved to 13-2 overall, while Missouri-Kansas City fell to 4-12. The Bison capitalized on efficiency, making 21 of 26 free throws and scoring 42 points in the paint to secure the conference victory.

FARGO, N.D. (Interstat) — The North Dakota State Bison used a dominant first half and a balanced offensive attack to cruise past the Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos 77-54 in a Summit League women’s basketball game Thursday night at Scheels Arena. The Bison (13-2, 3-0 Summit) never trailed, establishing control with a 22-point first quarter and leading 44-29 at halftime. The Kangaroos (4-12, 1-2) struggled to find consistent offense against a stout North Dakota State defense and could not mount a second-half challenge. Avery Koenen, a 6-foot-2 sophomore from Montevideo, Minnesota, orchestrated the victory for North Dakota State with a comprehensive performance, finishing with 17 points, six assists and two blocks. She was complemented by the backcourt scoring of Jocelyn Schiller of Grand Forks, North Dakota, who poured in a game-high 19 points. The Bison’s efficiency was the story, as they scored 77 points on just 69 possessions for an offensive rating of 111.0. They shot 45.6% from the field and capitalized at the free-throw line, making 21 of 26 attempts. North Dakota State also dominated inside, outscoring UMKC 42-30 in the paint. Missouri-Kansas City, which managed an offensive rating of just 74.7, shot 35.4% overall and a frigid 2 of 11 from three-point range. The Kangaroos also committed 13 turnovers while registering only two assists for the game. Elauni Bennett of Lee’s Summit, Missouri, led UMKC with 14 points, all scored in the first half. Emani Bennett, also from Lee’s Summit, added 13 points, and Kelby Bannerman of Hampshire, Illinois, contributed 10 points. The game’s decisive stretch came early. After UMKC’s Emani Bennett hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 7-7 midway through the first quarter, North Dakota State seized momentum with a 15-2 run. Koenen was central to the surge, scoring or assisting on multiple baskets. A three-pointer by Abby Krzewinski of Wayzata, Minnesota, at the first-quarter buzzer extended the lead to 22-17, and the Bison continued to build on it in the second period. North Dakota State’s defense tightened further in the second quarter, holding the Kangaroos to 12 points. The Bison closed the first half on a 10-2 run, capped by another Koenen-assisted layup from Krzewinski with 14 seconds left, to take a commanding 15-point lead into the break. Any hope of a UMKC rally was extinguished in the third quarter as North Dakota State maintained its defensive pressure and methodically extended the lead. The Bison’s advantage ballooned to as many as 23 points in the fourth quarter before both teams emptied their benches. Krzewinski finished with 10 points and three assists for North Dakota State. Karrington Asp of Epworth, Iowa, added nine points off the bench. The announced attendance was 887. The victory extends North Dakota State’s winning streak to four games, while UMKC has now lost two of its last three. North Dakota State will host Omaha on Saturday. Missouri-Kansas City travels to face North Dakota on the same day. The most important part of the game was North Dakota State’s immediate and sustained defensive pressure, which disrupted UMKC’s offensive flow from the opening tip. This was exemplified during the pivotal 15-2 run in the first quarter, where the Bison forced multiple Kangaroos turnovers and contested shots, transforming defense into easy offensive opportunities to build a lead they would never relinquish.

Preview: North Dakota State Aims to Continue Dominance Against Struggling Kansas City FARGO, N.D. (Interstat) — A stark contrast in trajectories will be on display Thursday when the surging North Dakota State Bison host the struggling Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos in a Summit League women’s basketball matchup at Scheels Arena. The Bison (12-2) enter conference play as one of the league’s hottest teams, having won nine straight games. Their most recent outing was a dominant 81-44 road victory at Denver on Jan. 3, where they held the Pioneers to just 25.9% shooting from the field. North Dakota State’s success is fueled by forward Avery Koenen, who is playing at an elite level. In the win over Denver, Koenen posted 25 points and 11 rebounds. Over her last six games, she is averaging 20.3 points and has scored 16 or more points in each contest, including a 29-point performance in an overtime win at Pepperdine on Dec. 16. Conversely, the Kangaroos (4-11) have lost eight of their last ten and are coming off a 67-47 home loss to South Dakota on Jan. 3. UMKC has struggled offensively, failing to reach 70 points in nine of its 11 losses this season. A bright spot for the Kangaroos has been the recent play of Kelby Bannerman. The guard logged 31 minutes and contributed eight points and eight rebounds in a narrow overtime loss at Missouri on Dec. 28, followed by a team-high 10 points in the loss to South Dakota. Her production will be critical against a stout Bison defense. The Bison have excelled on both ends of the floor during their win streak, averaging 82.2 points per game while allowing just 57.2. Beyond Koenen, North Dakota State boasts balanced scoring, with Jocelyn Schiller adding 15 points in the Denver win. UMKC’s schedule offers little respite, as this game begins a tough stretch of four road contests in their next five games. North Dakota State looks to protect its home court, where it is 6-0 this season, before a key showdown at South Dakota State on Jan. 17. Tipoff is set for Thursday, Jan. 8, in Fargo.