2008 Woodie Awards
Upset shows seeds truly do not matter
Ken Woods
Issue date: 3/7/08 Section: Summit League Basketball Tournament
TULSA, Okla. - UMKC proved that seeding in the Summit League Tournament does not matter, as it upset No. 2 Western Illinois 62-55 in the first round Saturday afternoon.
It has been 10 years since the No.1 seed has won the tournament, and UMKC showed Saturday that big upsets are possible again in 2008. The underdog came out on top again in the opening round. The Kangaroos were more athletic, and seemed to want it more.
"Our team doesn't believe that the seed is a very important factor," said UMKC senior center Alysa Klein. "We just go out there and play like…nothings happened in the past; there is no regrets we just go out there and play our hardest."
UMKC controlled the pace of the game from the opening tip. They had key contributions from Klein, who scored 25 points in the victory and proved to be a mismatch for any Western defender.
The Kangaroos set the tempo early and never looked back. Western did not gain the lead the entire game. UMKC shared the ball more with 18 assists in the contest. Everyone seemed to be on the same page for the Kangaroos.
"I thought we just meshed well today," Klein said. "Everybody from the girls who were injured on the bench, to the starters, everyone just had amazing energy and clicked this afternoon."
With the loss, the 'Winds have now suffered their second straight first-round exit in the postseason.
UMKC could prove to be a problem for the next opponent. The Kangaroos have athleticism, a dominating post presence and are riding a wave of momentum. UMKC also has precedent when it played in 2005's championship game as the seventh seed.
It has been 10 years since the No.1 seed has won the tournament, and UMKC showed Saturday that big upsets are possible again in 2008. The underdog came out on top again in the opening round. The Kangaroos were more athletic, and seemed to want it more.
"Our team doesn't believe that the seed is a very important factor," said UMKC senior center Alysa Klein. "We just go out there and play like…nothings happened in the past; there is no regrets we just go out there and play our hardest."
UMKC controlled the pace of the game from the opening tip. They had key contributions from Klein, who scored 25 points in the victory and proved to be a mismatch for any Western defender.
The Kangaroos set the tempo early and never looked back. Western did not gain the lead the entire game. UMKC shared the ball more with 18 assists in the contest. Everyone seemed to be on the same page for the Kangaroos.
"I thought we just meshed well today," Klein said. "Everybody from the girls who were injured on the bench, to the starters, everyone just had amazing energy and clicked this afternoon."
With the loss, the 'Winds have now suffered their second straight first-round exit in the postseason.
UMKC could prove to be a problem for the next opponent. The Kangaroos have athleticism, a dominating post presence and are riding a wave of momentum. UMKC also has precedent when it played in 2005's championship game as the seventh seed.
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