Lady Roos third in Summit League Play

Eilise O’Connor in great scoring form on Saturday night, hitting 13 against the Coyotes.

Despite the men’s team’s disappointing season start, the Lady Roos now have an impressive 11-5 record, improving to 3-2 in the Summit League Conference play.

After the loss to the University of Kansas 77-52 on Dec. 17, Head Coach Candace Whitaker’s hard-working outfit has been unstoppable, boasting a five-game win streak.

This is important timing for the Roos. Most of the remaining games are conference games, and it is important to peak at the right stage of the season when crucial contests approach thick and fast. With an impressive 70-67 win at Saint Louis on Dec. 20 and 68-57 win at New Mexico State on Jan. 4, the Roos have proven to be a real handful for anyone who crosses their paths as of late.

While these non-Conference games are great to build momentum and confidence for the team, the Summit League Conference games are what really matters as the team heads into the business end of the season.

After holding up the conference with two initial losses, the Roos have responded with striking performances and are now 3-2 in the conference.

The team is now back in contention for Summit League honors as it sits in third position, just one game back from the 4-1 South Dakota State Jackrabbits.

The Roos proved untouchable by their Summit League peers and won their first conference game against Southern Utah 81-61 on Dec. 29.

The Golden Eagles of Oral Roberts proved no match for the Roos just two days later as they were downed 92-79.

Senior Dayon Hall-Jones hit a whopping 43 points, a feat that earned her a Summit League Player of the Week award.

Again, the Roos made full use of their home-court advantage as they blew the South Dakota Coyotes away Saturday night 61-49. Hall-Jones was again impressive as she led the team with 17 points, while Sophomore Eilise O’Connor totaled 13.

Although scoring has not been a problem as of late, the unsung hero has been the team’s solid defense.

Against the Coyotes, this was no different, as the Roos held their opponents to just 24.1 percent shooting from the field and recorded eight steals.

Next up is a non-conference game versus Nebraska-Omaha at 7 p.m. on Jan. 11 at Swinney Recreation Center and a trip to Brookings, S.D. to play South Dakota State on Jan. 14.

lharman@unews.com