UMKC Opens Exhibition Season Against Rockhurst Exhibition Game #1

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1 Nov. 2, p.m. - Swinney Recreation Center UMKC Opens Exhibition Season Against Rockhurst Exhibition Game #1 UMKC vs. Rockhurst 7 p.m Nov. 2, 2006 Swinney Recreation Center (Kansas City, Mo.) In the first of two exhibition games on the schedule, the Kangaroo women host Rockhurst University to open up the basketball season. This is the second consecutive year that the Hawks serve as the debut matchup for UMKC, as the Kangaroos handed Rockhurst a defeat in last year's exhibition opener. About Rockhurst Rockhurst, a NCAA Division II institution, plays in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. This season looks to be a rebuilding year for the Hawks, as they only return four letterwinners from last year's squad. The Hawks struggled a bit in, picking up just four victories on the season. Rockhurst finished with a 4-23 overall record and a 1-18 conference mark. This season, the Hawks will look to the leadership of senior Courtney Farmer (9.6 pts/gm, 6.1 reb/gm) as they try to best their results from last season. Farmer is a familiar face to Kangaroo fans, as she transferred to Rockhurst after playing for UMKC for two seasons. The Hawks are a young squad, as Farmer is one of only four upperclassmen on the Rockhurst roster this season. The Series In regular-season games against Rockhurst, UMKC is 9-2 all-time. The last time these two teams squared off in the regular season, the Hawks were victorious, However, the teams haven't seen each other in regular season play since Jan. 30, UMKC easily handled Rockhurst in exhibition action to open Schedule/Results Date Opponent Time/Result Thurs., Nov. 2 Rockhurst (Exh.) 7 p.m. Tues., Nov. 7 Washburn (Exh.) (DH) 4 p.m. Sat., Nov p.m. Mon., Nov p.m. Thurs., Nov ^ 7 p.m. Sat., Nov p.m. Fri., Nov. 24 # 5 p.m. Sat., Nov. 25 # 6 p.m. Tues., Nov p.m. Thurs., Nov p.m. Sat., Dec. 2 2 p.m. Wed., Dec. 6 7 p.m. Sat., Dec. 9 2 p.m. Mon., Dec p.m. Wed., Dec p.m. Sun., Dec p.m. Sat., Jan. 6 (DH) 4 p.m. Mon., Jan. 8 4 p.m. Sat., Jan. 13 (DH) - ^ 4 p.m. Mon., Jan p.m. Sat., Jan. 20 2:30 p.m. Mon., Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. Sat., Jan. 27 (DH) - ^ 4 p.m. Mon., Jan p.m. Mon., Feb. 5 at 8 p.m. Sat., Feb. 10 at 4:30 p.m. Mon., Feb. 12 at 7:05 p.m. Sat., Feb. 17 (DH) - ^ 4 p.m. Mon., Feb p.m. Sat., Feb. 24 at 1:35 p.m. Mon., Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. UMKC Against... Rockhurst Hawks 11 Games - UMKC Leads Series 9-2 Last meeting - at Rockhurst 60, UMKC 52 (Jan. 30, 1989) Mar. 3-6 Mid-Continent Conference Tournament Tulsa, Okla. TBA - Mid-Continent Conference match # - Texas State Bobcat Classic ^ - Game Televised on Metro Sports All times Central Time Zone and subject to change UMKC Kangaroos ( 10-18, 8-8 Mid-Con) Averages Pts. Reb. FG% FT% 5 Jowan Ortega G 5-8 Jr. Plymouth, Minn. (Wayzata) Brittny Picconi G 5-10 So. Thornton, Colo. (Xavier Univ.) Leigh Mead F 6-0 Sr. Gower, Mo. (No. Central Missouri) Stephanie Brown F 6-0 Jr. Kansas City, Mo. (KCKCC) Alysa Klein C 6-3 So. Okoboji, Iowa (Okoboji) Team Average Rockhurst Hawks ( 4-23, 1-18 GLVC) Averages Pts. Reb. FG% FT% 10 Krista Daniels G 5-6 Sr. Gladstone, Mo. (St. Mary s) Chelsea Barnett G 5-8 So. Emporia, Kan. (Emporia) (Medical Redshirt) 41 Amy Hake G 5-8 So. St. Louis, Mo. (Lindbergh) Julie Cook F 5-9 So. Wichita, Kan. (Kapaun Mt. Carmel) Courtney Farmer C 6-2 Sr. Bellevue, Neb. (UMKC) Team Average W W W. U M K C K A N G A R O O S. C O M

2 UMKC Quick Facts Location Kansas City, Mo. Founded 1933 Nickname Kangaroos Colors Blue and Gold Enrollment 14,256 Affiliation NCAA Division I Conference Mid-Continent Home Court Swinney Recreation Ctr. Capacity 1,500 Chancellor Dr. Guy H. Bailey Interim Director of Athletics Rick Anderson Asst. AD/SWA Cynthia Gabel Website Athletics Dept. Phone (816) Athletics Dept. Fax (816) Women s Basketball Quick Facts NCAA Div. I record (.420) Mid-Con record (.421) NCAA Tournament Record N/A All-time record (.518) Head Coach Bo Overton (20-38, Mid-Con) Oklahoma 83 Assistant Coaches Candace White, Ron Anderson, Whitney Law Record (.357) Mid-Con Record 8-8/5th Final Ranking None Letterwinners Returning/Lost 10/2 Starters Returning/Lost 4/1 Newcomers 3 UMKC Sports Information WBB Contact John Roushkolb GA - Sports Information (816) ofc (316) cell JohnRoushkolb@umkc.edu - Director James Allan (816) ofc (319) cell allanjc@umkc.edu - All interviews MUST go through the UMKC Sports Information Office Mid-Con Standings Mid-Con Overall UMKC Centenary (Current standings reflect 2006 preseason Mid-Con poll, as voted by coaches, SIDs and select media) Bo Overton Head Coach Third Season Oklahoma 83 Career Coaching Record UMKC (.333) UMKC (.357) Totals (.345) Bo Overton enters his third season as the head coach of the UMKC women s basketball team. In two seasons in Kansas City, Overton has guided the Kangaroos to a (.345) overall record and a (.406) mark in the Mid-Con. UMKC has advanced to the conference tournament in both campaigns, which includes a championship game appearance in his first season. In, the Kangaroos improved three games in the Mid-Continent Conference race as they finished fifth in the league with an 8-8 mark. In the regular season finale, the team became the second conference team to win on the road at, a venue where the Westerwinds had previously won 46-consecutive home contests. Overton guided junior Stephanie Brown to first team allconference accolades, to the all-newcomer team and to Newcomer of the Year honors. Brown was the first Kangaroo to ever receive the award. Overton has coached a first team allleague selection in both of his seasons in Kansas City. During his inaugural year, Overton led his team to the Mid-Continent Tournament Championship game against Oral Roberts. The Kangaroos were within six minutes of earning their first-ever bid into the NCAA Tournament, but their effort came up short as the Golden Eagles prevailed, En route to the championship game, UMKC became the first No. 7 seed to win a quarterfinal and semifinal game at the Mid-Con Tournament. They also became the first team in UMKC history (men or women) to advance to the conference final. For their record breaking efforts, Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes honored the team by proclaiming Friday, March 11, 2005, Kangaroo Day in Kansas City. For the season, Overton guided UMKC to a overall mark and a 5-11 record in league play. With only eight players on the active roster, Overton mixed and matched his team and coached three players to conference accolades. Senior Katie Houlehan was a first team all-conference selection, while freshman Alysa Klein was named to the all-newcomer team. Houlehan, Klein and Sammi Knapic were also selected to the 2005 Mid-Con all-tournament team. Prior to his appointment at UMKC, Overton spent six seasons as an assistant coach at Oklahoma, where the Sooners compiled a record. During Overton s tenure, Oklahoma won three Big 12 Conference regular season titles. OU also The Overton File Birthdate July 9, 1960 Hometown Norman, Okla. High School Ada, 1979 College Oklahoma, 1983 Quick Facts Four-year starter (point guard) at OU Currently second all-time in FT% at OU (.852) Currently third all-time in assists at OU (517) Has the second-best single-season assists per game (7.3, ) mark in OU history Drafted by the Phoenix Suns Named 1979 Oklahoma High School Player of the Year Named to the Oklahoma high school basketball allcentury team by the Daily Oklahoman advanced to the NCAA Tournament five times, including an appearance in the 2002 NCAA National Championship game. Overton, a four-year starter at point guard for OU in the early 80 s, worked with all phases of the Oklahoma women s basketball program. His primary on-court responsibility at OU was the coaching of the backcourt. Overton began his coaching career as a graduate assistant for the Oklahoma men s basketball program in , followed by a year each as an assistant coach with the Continental Basketball Association s Pensacola (Fla.) Tornadoes ( ) and University ( ). He then landed his first head coaching position at Murray State Junior College in Tishomingo, Okla. After a two-year stay at MSJC, Overton returned to to assist coach Ken Trickey. He remained with the Golden Eagles for two seasons before accepting an assistant coach position at Southwest Texas State under former men s head coach Jim Wo o l d r i d g e. Overton s and Wooldridge s working relationship extended over five years and two institutions as the pair teamed up for one year at Southwest Texas and four years at Louisiana Tech ( ). During his four seasons as a player for the Sooners ( ), Overton led the team in assists his final three seasons and currently ranks third on the school s all-time assists list with 517. He also ranks second on the Sooners career list in free throw percentage after he converted 85.2 percent of his shots (184-of-216). He concluded his collegiate playing career by leading Oklahoma to the NCAA Mideast Regional and a second-place Big Eight Conference finish. Overton became the 22nd player in OU men s basketball history to be drafted professionally. He was selected by the Phoenix Suns in 1983 NBA Draft. He was a four-year letterwinner at Ada High School, earning Oklahoma Coaches, Tulsa World and Daily Oklahoman Player-of-the-Year recognition in Overton was also a member of the McDonald s and National High School Coaches Association All-America squads. He received the prestigious Jim Thorpe Award in 1979, which is presented annually to the top athlete in each sport at the Oklahoma state high school championships. Overton is a 1983 graduate of Oklahoma, earning a bachelor s degree in communications. 2 W W W. U M K C K A N G A R O O S. C O M

3 Roster No. Name Ht. Pos. Yr. Hometown High School Last College 3 Myleka Emerson 5-5 G Fr., Calif. El Cerrito 5 Jowan Ortega 5-8 G Sr. Plymouth, Minn. Wayzata 10 Sierra Radke 5-6 G Jr. Lyons, Kan. Lyons Seward Co. CC 13 Alysa Klein 6-3 C Jr. Okoboji, Iowa Okoboji 20 Tobey Beer 5-5 G So. Sapulpa, Okla. Sapulpa 22 Lindsay Fields 5-8 G Jr. Austin, Texas Connally 23 Tarah Cullen 5-10 G RS Fr. West Point, Iowa Fort Madison Aquinas 24 Heather Wimberly 5-7 G RS So. Tulsa, Okla. Booker T. Washington 25 Marta Waalen 6-1 F Jr. St. Paul, Minn. Central 32 Marissa Rivers 6-0 G/F Jr. Shawnee Mission, Kan. Shawnee Mission Northwest Kansas City (Kan.) CC 33 Chazny Morris 5-10 G Fr., Calif. Piedmont 40 Leigh Mead 6-0 F Sr. Gower, Mo. East Buchanan No. Central Missouri 43 Brittny Picconi 5-10 G Jr. Thornton, Colo. Horizon Xavier 44 Brittany Graham 5-8 G RS Fr. Superior, Colo. Boulder 55 Stephanie Brown 6-1 C Sr. Kansas City, Mo. Park Hill Kansas City (Kan.) CC Coaching Staff notes cont d Head Coach: Assistant Coaches: Administrative Coordinator: Bo Overton (3rd season) Candace White (3rd season) Ron Anderson (2nd season) Whitney Law (1st season) Chelsea Domenico (1st season) the season, using a 14-point run in the first half to cruise to a win. Head Coach Rebecca Morrissey Rebecca Morrisey is entering her sixth season at the helm of the Rockhurst women's basketball program. She came to Rockhurst after a 18-year career as a high school coach, having served as an assistant and head coach for Spearville (Kan.) High School from 1984 to 1991 before moving to Leavenworth (Kan.) High School. While at Leavenworth, she was named Sunflower League Coach of the Year in 1993 and served on the National Federation of State High School Associations Rules Committee from 1995 to At Spearville, she was named the KSHSAA Class 2A Coach of the Year in 1989 and 1990 as well as KSHSAA Coach of the Year in Over that two-year span, Morrisey's teams went Morrisey also serves as the Senior Woman Administrator for Rockhurst Outlook With four starters and 10 letterwinners returning to the fold in , Head Coach Bo Overton s UMKC women s basketball program is expecting good things in the upcoming campaign. The Kangaroos return experienced players both on the perimeter and on the block, which should lead to a balanced attack this season. The biggest thing this season is we re at the point in our program where we have juniors and seniors that we re counting on, said Overton. When you have their experience in league play, it really helps in transitioning the newcomers with growing pains. A year ago, the Kangaroos jumped two spots in the league standings from Overton s first year in the Mid-Con, as the squad finished fifth with an even 8-8 record. UMKC was playing its best ball by the end of the regular season as evidence by the three straight victories over, and at. Pronunciations Jowan - JOE-ann Picconi - pick-own-ee Waalen - WALL-en The team has made a lot of progress in my first two years here, said Overton. We have a lot of our players back this season, where as I believe this is the most experience that we ve had on this roster since I ve been here. By adding the newcomers to the mix, I think we ll continue to move forward this season. The Kangaroos return an experienced core of players in their backcourt this season with senior Jowan Ortega and junior Brittny Picconi leading the way. Both players will be key components to the offensive attack in Ortega, who played on the Trinidad & Tobago National Team at the 2006 Goodwill Games this past summer, is UMKC s most experienced returnee as she s played in 83 games in her career in Blue and Gold. The three-year letterwinner led the team and was sixth in the Mid-Con in steals with 44 a year ago. She also dished out 106 assists, which was second most on the squad, and averaged 7.9 points a game. I am really excited about Jowan as she heads into her senior season, said Overton. She has exceptional speed and quickness on the perimeter and she usually guards the opposition s best player. Her defense really gives us a boost, as she s good for two or three breakaway lay-ups every game. Picconi, who will play her first full season for UMKC this season, led the Kangaroos with a 12.8 scoring average in 19 games last season. The Thornton, Colo., native scored 29 points in her UMKC debut vs. Wichita State and she finished with 11 games in double figures on the year. I think Brittny will be more comfortable with a year under her belt, said Overton. She was a big part of what we did last season and that experience will propel her forward this year. She can score in a lot of ways, so we re expecting big things out of her. Another player that could make a splash in the backcourt is true freshman Chazny Morris of Piedmont High School in, Calif. The 5-10 guard led her team to a 35-2 record as a senior, averag- W W W. U M K C K A N G A R O O S. C O M 3

4 ing 14 points, seven rebounds, four steals and four assists. She was also a unanimous BSAL all-league selection. We re very excited about the athletic ability that Chazny brings to our team, said Overton. She can drive to the basket, step outside the three-point line and score in the paint. This type of versatility is something we haven t had in my first two years here. Sophomores Tobey Beer and Heather Wimberly and newcomers Myleka Emerson and Sierra Radke will battle it out for the starting point guard position this season. The four student-athletes will need to step up to replace Sammi Knapic, who finished third in the UMKC recordbooks in career assists. Beer played in 25 of 28 games as a true freshman a year ago, which included a pair of starts. The Salpulpa, Okla., native notched a season-high in her career debut at Drake with 11 points and she had nine assists at Arkansas in December. Wimberly, meanwhile, played in 25 games as redshirt freshman, as she totaled 23 assists and 14 steals on the season. Tobey gained a lot of valuable experience with all the minutes she played last season, said Overton. We look for big things out of her this season because she s the type of player that can stretch the defense with her shooting ability. Heather is probably our best defender on the team, but she s coming off another ACL injury. She s a very athletic and strong player that, when healthy, is a big piece of what we re trying to do. Emerson, a speedy guard from, Calif., was a twotime first team ACCAL selection. She averaged 14.1 points, three assists, two steals and two rebounds a game at El Cerrito High School. Meanwhile, Radke comes to UMKC by the way of Seward County Community College. A threat from long range, Radke made 104 treys in her two years at Seward, which ranks fifth in the all-time recordbooks. It s all about speed and quickness when you talk about Myleka, said Overton. She has a chance to be one of the fastest players in this league. As far as Sierra, we recruited her to compete for the point guard position when Sammi graduated. She comes from a very good junior college, where she was well coached. Redshirt freshman Tarah Cullen and junior Lindsay Fields will provide quality depth for the Kangaroos on the perimeter. Cullen redshirted last season due to injury, while Fields saw action in 18 games on the year. Tarah is coming off a back injury and we re looking forward to getting her back on the court, said Overton. Lindsay is a solid player for us that can really do a lot of things well. As we move toward playing with more speed and quickness in the line-up, she s a fit with what we re trying to do. When you talk about the UMKC frontline, the talk centers around senior Stephanie Brown. A year ago, Brown had a stellar first season in Blue and Gold, as she was named the Mid-Con Newcomer of the Year, as well as being a First Team all-mid-con and all-newcomer team selection. Brown ranked among the top-10 in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and free throw percentage a year ago. She averaged 12.5 points and 8.9 rebounds, while shooting.529 from the floor and.773 from the charity stripe. The Kansas City, Mo., native recorded 13 double-doubles on the year, a UMKC school record, and she scored in double figures in 20-of-28 games. Her career best 21 points came vs. and she pulled down 16 rebounds vs. Northwest Missouri State. The biggest thing with Stephanie is the experience she brings to the team, said Overton. She gives us a presence in the post that we can run our offense through and she can also really defend. She s a talented player that we re expecting big things out of. Fellow senior Leigh Mead returns after playing in all 28 games on the season, which included 10 starts. Mead was fourth on the team with a 7.4 scoring average, and she ranked among the top-10 in the Mid-Con in three-pointers made (65) and three point field goal percentage (.363). Leigh is such a weapon for our team because she has the ability to make three pointers at a 40 percent rate, said Overton. Teams have to respect her ability to make those long range shots, which opens up other components on our team. Junior Alysa Klein is set to battle for the starting center position for the Kangaroos after ranking among the top-10 in the league in blocked shots for the second straight season. Klein finished the year with 30 swats and a 6.3 scoring average, which was sixth on the team. For her career, she is tied for third on the all-time block shots chart with 63 in 57 games. Alysa s really come a long way since her freshman year, said Overton. We re excited about what she brings to us at the five, not only for her ability to score, but for her presence in blocking shots and rebounding. Juniors Marta Waalen and Marissa Rivers will provide the team quality depth on the frontline. Waalen played in 25 games a year ago averaging 1.0 point and 2.1 rebounds per game. Rivers, meanwhile, saw the court in nine games after recovering from a knee injury. Marta is a player with a great deal of experience as she s played in and done well in big games, said Overton. Marissa is coming off an injury and once she gets healthy, she ll give us some additional depth at the position. The Kangaroos will again play a challenging schedule in their campaign as five of their opponents participated in postseason play a year ago. The non-conference slate will feature Big 12 foes Kansas and WNIT Champion. The K angaroos and Wildcats will meet at Municipal Auditorium on Dec. 9 in Kansas City. UMKC will then travel to Fort Worth on New Year s Eve to face TCU, a team that has qualified for six straight NCAA berths. The Mid-Continent Conference will again feature the likes of, and at the top of the league. UMKC and, the 2006 NCAA Tournament qualifier, will also look to move up into the upper division of the league standings. I think this is a great schedule to get us prepared for the Mid- Con, said Overton. We re playing in some hostile arenas in some power conferences and these are the types of games that will get us ready for our league contests. Kangaroos Picked Fifth in Pre-Season Poll In preseason polling of coaches, SIDs and selected media members, UMKC was tabbed to finish in fifth place in the Mid-Con standings. is the preseason favorite to win the league, garnering 12 first -place votes en route to 237 total points. was picked second, receiving 213 points on the strength of 5 first-place votes. totted 177 points (3 first-place votes) to take third with nabbing the remaining two first-place nods and a fourth-place rank with 156 points. UMKC was chosen to finish in the same spot it ended the season, earning 145 points to edge out defending Mid-Con Tournament champion, who earned 142 points. Southern Utah (65) and Centenary (41) rounded out the voting. Preseason Accolades For Brown, Picconi Following up on her first-team all-conference, all-newcomer 4 W W W. U M K C K A N G A R O O S. C O M

5 team and Newcomer of the Year honors from, Stephanie Brown earned first-team all-conference accolades in the preseason polling. Joining Brown on the fi rst team we re Ta m ra Bra u n (), Jernisha Cann (), Nicole Piggott (), Betsy Rietema () and preseason Mid-Con Player of the Year Elisha Turek (). Brown wasn t the only Kangaroo to make coaches sit up and take notice, however. Brittny Picconi also earned individual honors with a spot on the second team. Joining Picconi on the second team are: Jenny Hardin (), Tanika Mays (), Carrie Myers () and Holli Wilkins (Centenary). New Faces In The Mob In addition to the new players on the court for the Kangaroos this season, there are a pair of new faces on the coaching staff for Bo Overton s squad. Whitney Law joins the staff as an assistant coach. She comes to UMKC after a solid playing career, with a year at Georgia before finishing her career at Colorado. She finished her career ranked 17th on the CU assist average list, and was a two-time Academic all-big 12 selection. Also coming to the Kangaroo staff from the Big 12, is Chelsea Domenico. The Administrative Coordinator for the Kangaroos, Domenico was a four-year letterwinner State. She finished her career atop the assist-to-turnover ration leaderboard - at and holds the fourth, fifth and sixth-best single-season marks in Kansas State history, capped by a 2.0 mark as a senior. In And Out The Kangaroos return a large portion of the squad percent of the scoring impact for UMKC returns for the campaign, along with 77.6 percent of the team rebounding. Swat You Very Much Averaging better than 30 blocks per season, junior Alysa Klein has quickly moved up the career blocks list at UMKC. She currently sits tied for third place with LaRonna Lassiter at 63. With two seasons of eligibility remaining, Klein should easily cruise into second spot, as she sits a mere 12 blocks behind Joy Ommen. The top spot on the list is within sight, although Klein would need to pick up the pace. 1. Lauren Powers ( ) Joy Ommen ( ) LaRonna Lassiter ( ) 63 Alysa Klein (2004-pres.) Georgia Bivens ( ) 61 Seeing Double After becoming eligible at the semester break, Brittny Picconi jumped right into the fray, posting double-digit games in both of her first two contests and six of her first seven games as a Kangaroo. She finished the season with 11 games in double figures, fully one-sixth of UMKC s player-game output for the season. The pace she was on would have carried her close to Stephanie Brown s team-topping 20 games. Seeing Double-double Senior Stephanie Brown set a UMKC single-season record with 13 double-doubles on the campaign, including a stretch of three consecutive games. The three-game streak was part of a larger nine-game run, where Brown posted double-digits in either scoring or rebounding with six double-doubles. Alysa Klein got into the doubledouble spirit as well, posting a 12 pt., 10 reb. outing against Centenary. Jowan Ortega found herself on the outside looking in, as she nearly posting double-doubles on two occasions (vs., vs, ) on the season. Taking Full Advantage Despite only playing in 19 games for the Kangaroos, Brittny Piccon was the team s second-highest scorer, leading the team in scoring average. Her 12.8 points per contest would have given the junior 358 points on the season, good for ninth in the Mid-Con. Down With The Distance The three-ball was no stranger to UMKC last season, as three players finished the season with better than 30 makes from long range. Leigh Mead snuck in the back door behind established threat Sammi Knapic and fellow transfer Brittny Picconi to make a name for herself. In only one season, Mead climbed to ninth all-time on the career threepointer list for the Kangaroos, with 65 treys. Should Mead duplicate her numbers from last year, she would move to third best all-time, leading the top-10 in treys per game. As an incidental note, Mead also has the seventh-best career three-point percentage mark, hitting 65 of her 179 efforts for a.363 percentage. 1. Katie Houlehan ( ) 257 (2.2/gm) 2. Veda McNeal ( ) 174 (1.8/gm) 3. Kaycee Kapels ( ) 128 (1.6/gm) 4. Julie Jenson ( ) 98 (1.7/gm) 5. Kelly Walden ( ) 95 (1.6/gm) 6. Latasha Jackson ( ) 85 (0.8/gm) Sammi Knapic ( ) 85 (0.8/gm) 8. Sara Atalla ( ) 69 (0.7/gm) 9. Leigh Mead (2005-pres.) 65 (2.3/gm) Stealing Her Way To The Top With 138 swipes over her career, Jowan Ortega sits in ninth place all-time on the steals list for UMKC. A mere 11 steals on the season would push her past the three-way logjam at sixth and into the top five. Should she stay at her career pace of 1.7 steals per game, she could easily cruise into the fourth spot on the list. With a breakout year to rival her sophomore record of 72 steals, she could solidify a fourthplace standing. 1. Stephanie Worthy ( ) /gm 2. Penny Waggener ( ) /gm 3. Laurie Smith ( ) /gm 4. Meredith Wilcox ( ) /gm 5. Valerie Quarles ( ) /gm 6. Veda McNeal ( ) /gm Sheila Wynn ( ) /gm Jennifer Sposato ( ) /gm 9. Jowan Ortega (2003-pres.) /gm 10. Beth Hinkebein ( ) /gm Long Distance Just Got A Bit Longer One of the traditions of the exhibition season is the appearance of experimental rules, looking always to improve the game. In this year s contest against Rockhurst, the three-point line will be moved back nine inches to 20 ft, 6 inches. In the Kangaroos exhibition contest against Washburn at Municipal Auditorium, the three-point line will remain at the shorter 19 ft, 9 inch distance. W W W. U M K C K A N G A R O O S. C O M 5

6 Count To Ten Also making an appearance in the exhibition contests this season will be a 10-second backcourt count. Similar to the men s game, teams will now have only 10 seconds to move the ball from the end line to half court at the beginning of each possession. Attendance Moves UMKC found themselves among heady company - including Oklahoma, North Carolina, Duke and Illinois - at the conclusion of the season. The Ka n g a roos ave rage home atte n d a n c e increased from 531 per game in to 1,473 in, the 10th best increase among Division I institutions. The Kangaroos nearly bested Illinois, falling just 21 fans per game of the Big 10 foe. Middle Tennessee State was the biggest mover, increasing their average attendance by nearly 300 percent - jumping from 695/gm in to 2,699/gm in. That Which Doesn t Kill You... Five of the Kangaroos opponents participated in postseason play in some capacity following the season. In addition to, the 2006 Mid-Con Tournament champion, made an appearance in the WNIT. On the non-conference side of the slate, UMKC hosts, winner of the 2006 WNIT, in a Dec. 9th contest at Municipal and visits Kansas as well as TCU, who has qualified for six straight NCAA tournaments. Broadcast Kangaroos Every home game for the UMKC Kangaroos is broadcast live via the world wide web. Join T.J. Jackson with the play-by-play call via streaming audio. The link is available at before every home game. On The Tube Metro Sports will again be the television home of UMKC Athletics. In addition to the Kangaroos' first-round contest in the 2007 Mid-Continent Conference Championship, fans will be able to see four other games on Metro Sports. The first telecast is UMKC's Nov. 16 game against Kansas. Metro Sports will also carry the Kangaroos' home games against, and as part of a TV doubleheader with the UMKC men's basketball team. UMKC will make five appearances on Metro Sports in Kansas City this season. In the three scheduled home broadcasts, the women s game will serve as the opening game of a television doubleheader. The season s television schedule is as follows: Nov. 16 Jan. 13 Jan. 27 Feb. 17 Mar. 3 Kangaroos On Television Mid-Con Championships UMKC Doubleheaders The Kangaroos will play the opening game of five doubleheaders this season. The women open play at 4 p.m. before the men play at 7 p.m. Nov. 7 Jan. 6 Jan. 13 Jan. 27 Feb. 17 Washburn 6 W W W. U M K C K A N G A R O O S. C O M

7 #20 Tobey Beer So. 5-5 Guard Sapulpa, Okla. Sapulpa Saw action in 24 contests for the Kangaroos, which included two starts... averaged 12.3 minutes per game on the season, finishing with a.237 shooting percentage (18-76), 33 assists and five steals... scored 11 points in her collegiate debut against Drake, hitting 4-of-10 shots (three 3-pointers) on the night... dished out a career-high nine assists against Arkansas... pulled down a career-high six rebounds in just 13 minutes of action against. High School Attended Sapulpa High School... McDonald s All-American nominee...bci All-American... OGBCA and OCA All-State... Oklahoma-Texas Oil Bowl All-Star... three-time all-state and four-time all-frontier Conference selection... named to the 2004 first team all state tournament team... averaged 11.0 points, 4.7 assists, 3.6 steals and 3.0 rebounds per game in her career... had a.558 career field goal percentage, a.467 career three-point field goal percentage and a.740 career free throw percentage... all-tournament selection at the Bertha Frank Teague Classic... Mid-America Tournament alltournament team... led team to the state championship tournament after being the top 3-point shooter in Oklahoma (54.0%)... team posted a record over her four seasons... high school coach was Leah Beer. Born June 28, daughter of Todd and Leah Beer... education major. at at at at at at 11 at Drake, 11/18/05 6, vs., 2/25/06 4 at Drake, 11/18/05 10 at Drake, 11/18/05 2 three times 2 six times 9 at Arkansas, 12/4/05 1 four times 32 at Arkansas, 12/4/05 Beer s Career Stats Year GP-GS Min Avg FG- Pct 3FG- Pct FT- Pct Off-Def-Tot Avg PF-FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg Totals W W W. U M K C K A N G A R O O S. C O M 7

8 #55 Stephanie Brown Sr. 6-1 Center Kansas City, Mo, Park Hill Chosen as a preseason first team all-conference honoree. Started every contest for the Kangaroos on the season, averaging 12.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game... opened with double-digit scoring in seven of her first nine games for UMKC, tallying three double-doubles (at Tulsa, vs. Northwest Missouri State and ) along the stretch... was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line State... earned Mid-Con Player of the Week honors for the week ending Feb. 10, 2006, on the strength of three consecutive double-doubles against Mid-Con foes... scored a career best 21 points against, shooting a perfect 5- of-5 from the charity stripe and missing a double-double by one rebound, as she snagged nine off the glass... earned a second Mid-Con Player of the Week accolade wih a 15- point, 10-rebound outing at, as she hit 9-of- 11 free throws in the overtime upset... set a new UMKC single-season Division I record with 13 double-doubles on the season... was selected to the Mid-Con All-Newcomer team and earned first team All-Conference honors, as well as the Mid-Con Newcomer of the Year award. Born June 24, daughter of Eugene and Bobette Agee and Larry Brown... father played in the NFL for the Kansas City Chiefs... played on the same team in community college as current UMKC teammate Marissa Rivers. at at at at at at 21 vs., 1/16/06 16 vs. Northwest Missouri State, 12/1/05 8 (four times) 14 vs. Centenary. 1/7/06 9 at, 2/27/06 11 at, 2/27/06 4, 1/4/06 5 vs., 2/25/06 2 (twice) 37 (twice) Brown s Career Stats Year GP-GS Min Avg FG- Pct 3FG- Pct FT- Pct Off-Def-Tot Avg PF-FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg Totals W W W. U M K C K A N G A R O O S. C O M

9 #23 Tarah Cullen RS Fr Guard West Point, Iowa Fort Madison Aquinas Redshirted and did not play. High School Attended Fort Madison Aquinas High School... first team allstate selection in 2004 and second team in named the Burlington Hawkeye Player of the Year... twice named to the all-state tournament team... led her team to two state tournament appearances... averaged 25.1 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.6 steals per game... holds the school record with 40 points in a game and points in a career with 1,729 in three seasons... played in the Gatorade Iowa Select team... high school coach was Jay Baldwin... also was a letter winner in softball (2 years) and track (1 year). Born June 8, daughter of Ron and Judy Cullen... undeclared arts & sciences major. at at at at at at Cullen s Career Stats Year GP-GS Min Avg FG- Pct 3FG- Pct FT- Pct Off-Def-Tot Avg PF-FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg Totals W W W. U M K C K A N G A R O O S. C O M 9

10 #3 Myleka Emerson Fr. 5-5 Guard, Calif. El Cerrito High School Averaged 14.1 points, 3.0 assists, 2.1 steals and 2.0 rebounds per game at El Cerrito High School... twice named to the all-accal first team... also was a San Francisco Chronicle all-metro honorable mention selection in led her high school team to four consecutive 20-win seasons and three section championship appearances... as a senior, led her team to a 25-6 overall record, culminating in a sectional championship win for the Lady Gauchos... selected the Most Valuable Player of both the Nike Tournament of Champions and the West Coast Jamboree during both the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Born June 29, daughter of XL and Carrie Emerson... chemistry major. at at at at at at Emerson s Career Stats Year GP-GS Min Avg FG- Pct 3FG- Pct FT- Pct Off-Def-Tot Avg PF-FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg Totals 10 W W W. U M K C K A N G A R O O S. C O M

11 #22 Lindsay Fields Jr. 5-8 Guard Austin, Texas Connally Saw action in 18 contests for the Kangaroos on the season... played 18 minutes against New Mexico State, scoring a field goal and pulling down two defensive rebounds, adding a steal and an assist... scored four points in eight minutes against, adding a rebound in the victory. Born March 26, daughter of Fannie and Otis Fields... communications major. at at at at at at 11 vs., 11/29/04 6 vs., 1/6/05 3 (twice) 8 at, 1/29/05 4 vs., 11/29/04 5 vs., 11/29/04 3 (five times) 3 (twice) 1 at, 1/29/05 40 (twice) Fields Career Stats Year GP-GS Min Avg FG- Pct 3FG- Pct FT- Pct Off-Def-Tot Avg PF-FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg Totals W W W. U M K C K A N G A R O O S. C O M 11

12 #44 Brittany Graham RS Fr. 5-8 Guard Superior, Colo. Boulder Redshirted and did not play. High School Attended Boulder High School... all-state honorable mention... first team Boulder County selection... tournament Most Valuable Player at the Boulder County Invitational... selected to play in the Denver Nuggets The Show All Star game... helped lead team to a 18-7 record and the state s sweet-16 round after averaging 14.0 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals per game... the finish was BHS best finish in 10 seasons... recorded a triple double (18 points, 15 rebounds, 10 steals) versus Smokey Hill in January, transferred to Boulder from Pullman (Wash.) High School where she was a second team all-state tournament performer in 2003 after leading her team to an 18-5 record and a state runner-up finish... finished fifth in the state in steals (100)... averaged 14 points, six rebounds and 4.3 steals., high school coach (Colo.) was Dynelle Todlock. Born Nov. 13, daughter of Paul and Vanessa Graham... father is the assistant men s basketball coach at the University of Colorado... education major. at at at at at at Graham s Career Stats Year GP-GS Min Avg FG- Pct 3FG- Pct FT- Pct Off-Def-Tot Avg PF-FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg Totals 12 W W W. U M K C K A N G A R O O S. C O M

13 #13 Alysa Klein Jr. 6-3 Center Okoboji, Iowa Okoboji Played in every game for the Kangaroos during the season, which included 11 starts... averaged 6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, contributing just over 17 minutes per game... led the team in blocks, averaging 1.1 per game... made the most of 12 minutes of action against New Mexico State, scoring a season high 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting, adding five rebounds and two blocks... scored 14 points against Arkansas on 7-of-9 shooting, also snagged a pair of rebounds in 23 minutes of work... earned her first start of the season, finishing with eight points, five rebounds, two assists and a block in 26 minutes on the floor... State, finished just shy of a double-double (13 pts, 9 reb) in 26 minutes of action, adding three blocks to move into the top-10 on UMKC s career blocks list... tallied her third career double-double at Centenary, scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in 24 minutes to go along with three blocks. Born April 15, daughter of Dennis and Lynn Klein... majoring in psychology. at at at at at at 20 vs., 2/12/05 13 (twice) 9, 1/17/05 14 (twice) 7 vs. New Mexico State, 11/25/05 10 vs. New Mexico State, 11/25/05 2, 12/7/05 3 (twice) 7 vs., 2/12/05 37 vs., 3/7/05 Klein s Career Stats Year GP-GS Min Avg FG- Pct 3FG- Pct FT- Pct Off-Def-Tot Avg PF-FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg Totals W W W. U M K C K A N G A R O O S. C O M 13

14 #40 Leigh Mead Sr. 6-0 Forward Gower, Mo. East Buchanan Averaged 7.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game for the Kangaroos, playing in all 28 contests... scored in double digits in three of her first six games on the season, missing a fourth game at Tulsa with nine points... notched her career-best scoring effort with 21 points against Northwest Missouri State... became a three-point threat for the Kangaroos, hitting 6-of-7 at and closing out the regular season with a pair of 4-of-6 outings against and at... pulled down a careerbest seven rebounds against, adding 10 points along with a block and a steal in 19 minutes of work. Born April 12, daughter of Roger and Beth Mead... secondary education major. at at at at at at 21 vs. Northwest Missouri State, 12/1/05 7 vs., 1/16/06 7 vs. Northwest Missouri State, 12/1/05 24 vs. Northwest Missouri State, 12/1/05 1 vs., 1/16/06 2 (twice) 5 (twice) 2, 12/7/05 1 vs., 1/16/06 38, 11/29/05 Mead s Career Stats Year GP-GS Min Avg FG- Pct 3FG- Pct FT- Pct Off-Def-Tot Avg PF-FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg Totals W W W. U M K C K A N G A R O O S. C O M

15 #33 Chazny Morris Fr Guard, Calif. Piedmont High School Finished her high school career at Piedmont High School by leading her team to a 35-2 overall record and the California state championship... averaged 20.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.0 steals and 4.0 assists per game... was a unanimous BSAL all-league selection as a senior... was also named East Bay Player of the Year and earned first team all-metro and all-east Bay honors... as a freshman and sophomore, played at El Cerrito High school, earning an honorable mention ACCAL all-league nod... was also named the Times Athlete of the Week and the West County Times Athlete of the Week... chosen to the all-tournament teams at the Lady Cat Classic in , and the West Coast Jamboree and the Reno Shootout in both and Born Nov. 9, daughter of Charles and Rosalyn Morris... has two sisters, Casey and Cheri... biology major. at at at at at at Morris Career Stats Year GP-GS Min Avg FG- Pct 3FG- Pct FT- Pct Off-Def-Tot Avg PF-FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg Totals W W W. U M K C K A N G A R O O S. C O M 15

16 #5 Jowan Ortega Sr. 5-8 Guard Plymouth, Minn. Wayzata Appeared in 27 contests on the season for the Kangaroos, averaging 32.8 minutes per game with 26 starts... averaged 7.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per contest... scored 11 points against New Mexico State on 5-of-8 shooting, adding five rebounds and three assists in 22 minutes on the floor... had a solid all-around perfomance against Northwest Missouri State, scoring 17 points, adding seven rebounds and seven assists - both matching career highs at the time - in 38 minutes... finished the regular season with a pair of back-to-back games with double-digit scoring, with 14 against and 12 at. Born July 6, daughter of Joel and Ann Ortega... a business administration major. at at at at at at 24 vs. Western Kentucky, 12/19/04 7 (five times) 10 vs. Western Kentucky, 12/19/04 18 vs. Western Kentucky, 12/19/04 6 vs., 2/18/06 10 vs., 2/18/06 10 vs., 1/16/06 7 vs. Mississippi Valley State, 12/4/04 2 (twice) 40 (21 times) Ortega s Career Stats Year GP-GS Min Avg FG- Pct 3FG- Pct FT- Pct Off-Def-Tot Avg PF-FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg Totals W W W. U M K C K A N G A R O O S. C O M

17 #43 Brittny Picconi Jr Guard Thornton, Colo. Horizon Was named second team all-conference in preseason balloting... After becoming eligible at the semester break, Picconi made an impact for the Kangaroos, averaging 12.8 points and 2.5 rebounds per game... started all 19 contests in which she saw action, averaging 34.0 minutes per game... scored in double figures in six of her first seven games, sparked by 29 points and five assists (both career bests) in a 40-minute effort against Wichita State... led the team in scoring at Oral Roberts, sinking seven buckets (three treys) for 18 points in the winning effort. Born June 25, daughter of Mark and Diana Picconi... majoring in communications with an emphasis in mass media and journalism. at at at at at at 29 vs. Wichita State, 12/17/05 7, vs. Centenary, 1/7/06 10 vs. Wichita State, 12/17/05 31 vs. Wichita State, 12/17/05 5 (twice) 6 (three times) 5 vs. Wichita State, 12/17/05 2 (three times) 1 (three times) 41 at, 2/27/06 Picconi s Career Stats Year GP-GS Min Avg FG- Pct 3FG- Pct FT- Pct Off-Def-Tot Avg PF-FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg Totals W W W. U M K C K A N G A R O O S. C O M 17

18 #10 Sierra Radke Jr. 5-6 Guard Lyons, Kan. Lyons At Seward County Community College Averaged 9.8 points, 3.2 assists and 1.5 steals in 59 games for the Lady Saints... had 104 career three-pointers, ranking her fifth all-time in the school record books... as a sophomore, ranked 10th in NJCAA Region VI with 59 treys on the season, en route to an honorable mention Jayhawk West all- Conference selection... helped SCCC to a 37-3 overall record, culminating in a fifth-place finish at the NJCAA National Tournament... led all players in the tournament, with 15 three-pointers. High School Played at Lyons High School... earned all-state honors as a senior to follow up an honorable mention all-state nod as a junior... was also a first-team all-conference selection in both her junior and senior years... also lettered in volleyball and track & field. Born Sept 20, daughter of Dwight and Suzanne Radke... elementary education major. at at at at at at Radke s Career Stats Year GP-GS Min Avg FG- Pct 3FG- Pct FT- Pct Off-Def-Tot Avg PF-FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg Totals 18 W W W. U M K C K A N G A R O O S. C O M

19 #32 Marissa Rivers Jr. 6-0 Guard/Forward Shawnee Mission, Kan. Shawnee Mission NW Saw limited action for UMKC in the campaign, averaging 6.5 minutes per game in eight contests... pulled down nine rebounds and scored 12 points on the season... saw extended action, playing 22 minutes, in which she hit her first career field goal - a three-pointer - and added two rebounds and a steal. Born June 20, daughter of Mark and Cynthia Rivers... arts and science major. at at at at at at 5 vs., 12/30/05 3 vs., 12/30/05 2 vs., 12/30/05 4 State, 12/11/05 1 vs., 12/30/05 2 vs., 12/30/05 1 at Tulsa, 11/20/05 1 (twice) 22, 12/7/05 Rivers Career Stats Year GP-GS Min Avg FG- Pct 3FG- Pct FT- Pct Off-Def-Tot Avg PF-FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg Totals W W W. U M K C K A N G A R O O S. C O M 19

20 #25 Marta Waalen Jr. 6-1 Forward St. Paul, Minn. Central Played in 25 games for the Kangaroos, averaging 7.6 minutes, 2.1 rebounds and 1.0 points per game... led the team with seven rebounds in 10 minutes against New Mexico State... scored five points, including a game-breaking trey against. Born August 22, daughter of Norris and Holly Waalen... sociology major. at at at at at at 14 vs., 1/6/05 9 (three times) 6 vs., 1/6/05 12 at Centenary, 2/10/05 3 at, 1/29/05 4 at, 1/29/05 5 vs., 2/12/05 2 (four times) 3 vs. Eastern Michigan, 12/3/04 33 vs., 2/5/05 Waalen s Career Stats Year GP-GS Min Avg FG- Pct 3FG- Pct FT- Pct Off-Def-Tot Avg PF-FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg Totals W W W. U M K C K A N G A R O O S. C O M

21 #24 Heather Wimberly RS So. 5-7 Guard Tulsa, Okla. Booker T. Washington Played in 25 games for the Kangaroos... Finished with three points and two rebounds at Tulsa... scored four points and dished six assists against New Mexico State in 18 minutes of action... hit three of four free-throw attempts against, adding two rebounds, a steal and an assist in five minutes on the floor. Born September 28, daughter of Bettye Wimberly and Harold Wise... business major. at at at at at at 4 vs. New Mexico State, 11/25/05 3 at, 12/30/05 2 vs. New Mexico State, 11/25/05 4, 12/7/05 3 vs., 2/20/05 4 vs., 2/20/05 6 vs. New Mexico State, 11/25/05 2 (three times) 18 vs. New Mexico State, 11/25/05 Wimberly s Career Stats Year GP-GS Min Avg FG- Pct 3FG- Pct FT- Pct Off-Def-Tot Avg PF-FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg Totals W W W. U M K C K A N G A R O O S. C O M 21

22 Overall Statistics UMKC Women vs. Rockhurst (exhibition) ## Player GP-GS Min. Avg. FG- FG% 3FG- 3PT% FT- FT% O-D-Reb. Avg. PF-FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg. 43 PICCONI, Brittny BROWN, Stephanie ORTEGA, Jowan MEAD, Leigh KNAPIC, Sammi KLEIN, Alysa OBRECHT, Liz BEER, Tobey RIVERS, Marissa WAALEN, Marta FIELDS, Lindsay WIMBERLY, Heather TEAM To t a l s O p p o n e n t s SCORE BY PERIODS: 1st 2nd OT Total UMKC Opponents Deadball Off. Def. Total UMKC Opponents Conference Statistics ## Player GP-GS Min. Avg. FG- FG% 3FG- 3PT% FT- FT% O-D-Reb. Avg. PF-FO A TO Blk Stl Pts Avg. 55 BROWN, Stephanie PICCONI, Brittny ORTEGA, Jowan MEAD, Leigh KNAPIC, Sammi KLEIN, Alysa OBRECHT, Liz RIVERS, Marissa BEER, Tobey FIELDS, Lindsay WAALEN, Marta WIMBERLY, Heather TEAM To t a l s O p p o n e n t s SCORE BY PERIODS: 1st 2nd OT Total UMKC Opponents Deadball Off. Def. Totals UMKC Opponents W W W. U M K C K A N G A R O O S. C O M