Preview: Kansas City Visits Denver in Summit League Women’s Basketball Clash

DENVER (Interstat) — Two teams seeking momentum in the Summit League will meet Wednesday when the Denver Pioneers host the Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game at Magness Arena.

The Kangaroos (6-13, 2-4 Summit) enter after snapping a three-game skid with a 75-60 home victory over St. Thomas (Minn.) on Saturday. Denver (7-11, 1-5) looks to halt a four-game losing streak, most recently a 75-55 defeat at South Dakota.

UMKC will lean on forward Elauni Bennett, who is coming off a dominant 20-point, 10-rebound double-double in the win over St. Thomas. Over her last eight games, Bennett is averaging 15.5 points and has scored 18 or more points four times. She will be supported by Zaire Harrell, who also posted a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) in the last outing.

The Pioneers counter with guard Victoria Baker, their leading scorer in the loss to South Dakota with 18 points. Baker has been a consistent offensive threat, averaging 9.4 points per game in conference play. Guard Coryn Watts, who scored a team-high 19 points against the Coyotes, provides additional backcourt scoring.

Both teams have struggled defensively in league action. Denver has allowed an average of 79.2 points per game in its five Summit losses, while UMKC has conceded 77.3 points per game in its four conference defeats.

The Kangaroos have shown resilience on the road this season, including a 77-56 win at North Dakota on Jan. 10 and a narrow overtime loss at Missouri in nonconference play. Denver is 5-4 at home this season but has dropped its last two Summit League contests at Magness Arena.

Wednesday’s matchup is the first of two regular-season meetings between the teams this season. They will meet again in Kansas City on Feb. 18.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. MST.