KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Interstat) — In a Summit League women’s basketball matchup defined by grit over grace, the North Dakota Fighting Hawks secured a hard-fought 68-58 victory over the Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos on Saturday at Municipal Auditorium.

The game, played before an announced crowd of 437, saw North Dakota improve to 7-18 overall, while UMKC fell to 7-17. The result flipped both the season series and the pregame projections, as the Kangaroos had defeated the Fighting Hawks by 21 points just four weeks prior and entered as significant favorites according to advanced metrics.

North Dakota’s win was anchored by a dominant performance from sophomore forward Ava Miller and a critical surge to open the fourth quarter. Miller, a 6-foot-2 standout from Rochester, Minnesota, controlled the paint on both ends, finishing with 10 points and a game-high 14 rebounds in 32 minutes. Her presence was pivotal in neutralizing UMKC’s offensive rebounding advantage and securing key defensive stops.

The most important sequence of the contest came as the Fighting Hawks, leading by a slim 46-43 margin after three quarters, opened the final period with a decisive 9-0 run. The burst was fueled by Miller, who scored inside, and guard Skyler Volmer, who connected on a three-pointer. That push extended the lead to 55-43 with just over seven minutes remaining, creating a cushion that proved insurmountable for a struggling UMKC offense.

While the Kangaroos won the hustle battle in several categories—racking up 15 offensive rebounds, forcing 19 North Dakota turnovers and converting those into 21 points—they could not overcome frigid shooting. UMKC shot just 34.9% from the field overall and a dismal 20% from the three-point line. Critical misses at the free-throw line, where they went 10 for 20, further hampered comeback efforts.

North Dakota, by contrast, executed with efficiency despite its turnover issues. The Fighting Hawks shot 50% from the field and an impressive 88.2% from the charity stripe. Their offensive rating of 101.4 points per 100 possessions starkly outperformed UMKC’s 87.2, highlighting the difference in offensive execution.

Guard Mackenzie Hughes of North Dakota played all 40 minutes, orchestrating the offense with 18 points and nine assists. Sydney Piekny matched Hughes’ scoring output with 18 points, including four three-pointers. For UMKC, the backcourt duo of Zaire Harrell and Emani Bennett scored 12 and 13 points, respectively, while forward Elauni Bennett recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair defined by runs. North Dakota built an early 11-2 lead, but UMKC responded with a 10-0 spurt of its own to take a brief advantage. The Fighting Hawks closed the second quarter strong, taking a 30-28 lead into halftime after a late three-pointer from Piekny.

The third quarter saw neither team lead by more than four points, setting the stage for North Dakota’s fourth-quarter separation. After the Fighting Hawks’ initial run, UMKC never got closer than seven points the rest of the way, as North Dakota consistently answered with timely baskets and clutch free throws down the stretch.

The victory snaps a two-game skid for North Dakota, which had lost close contests to Omaha and Oral Roberts in its previous outings. For Missouri-Kansas City, the loss marks a second consecutive defeat following a 25-point loss to North Dakota State earlier in the week.

Both teams continue Summit League play on the road next Thursday. North Dakota travels to face South Dakota State, while Missouri-Kansas City visits South Dakota.