GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The second quarter proved to be the difference maker in Saturday afternoon's Summit League square-off as North Dakota dropped to Kansas City, 77-56, inside the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.
 
UND now drops to 4-13 overall and 1-3 in conference play as the Roos move to 5-12 and 2-2.
 
Sophomore Skyler Volmer led the offensive for the Hawks with her career-high 14 points off 5-of-7 shooting from the field and a 4-of-5 performance from the free throw line. Ava Miller scored nine points alongside her nine rebounds as Mackenzie Hughes dished three assists and three separate Hawks logged a steal.
 
North Dakota shot 44.7-percent from the floor (21-of-47) and 23.8-percent from behind the arc (5-of-21) while going just 9-of-16 from the free throw line. Kansas City held the advantage in rebounds 35-31 and forced 24 turnovers out of the home team.
 
Volmer hit back-to-back buckets for the Fighting Hawks to start the first quarter, making it a 6-4 game at the 7:31 mark. Ava Miller knocked down a triple seconds later to take the lead while another 3-pointer from Lauren Hillesheim capped an 8-0 run for the home team. A trading of baskets kept the spread tight, with four different Hawks scoring in the last half of the quarter that culminated in an 18-16 lead.
 
Kansas City knocked down a triple 90 seconds into the second quarter to regain the lead until a successful and-1 from Volmer put the home team back in the lead by two. But North Dakota would not make another field goal for nearly eight minutes.
 
Free throws initially helped the Fighting Hawks keep the deficit at single digits, but the Roos continued to knock down shots from the floor. Seven straight points from the visitors pushed the lead to double figures for the first time with 1:45 remaining at 33-23 until an exchange of free throws and one field goal apiece would make it a 40-27 game at the half.
 
The spread soon increased to 16 before Demers knocked down an early layup in the third and was soon followed by Hughes and Ava Miller teaming up to score on back-to-back possessions. Finley Ohnstad cruised into the lane to cut the score to 47-36 with 5:15 remaining but the visitors stormed back with 12 straight points over the next three minutes. North Dakota fought through foul trouble to score the final four points of the quarter via Ava Miller and Mataeya Mathern but would remain down 59-40 heading into the final 10 minutes.
 
It was none other than Volmer to crack open the fourth quarter, who—sandwiched around a bucket from Lauren Hillesheim—dropped in two driving layups. Mikayla Aumer cashed in on a deep 3-pointer to make it a 65-49 game with 5:49 remaining but, despite the exchange of free throws, Kansas City scored the final six points to take the 77-56 victory over North Dakota.  
 
Postgame Notes 

• Skyler Volmer dropped a career-high 14 points in the Saturday affair
• Ava Miller again led the team in rebounding with her nine boards alongside nine points
• North Dakota held the advantage with points in the paint, 32-26
• UND again committed more turnovers than its opponent, 24-11
• The Fighting Hawks are now 5-5 all-time against the Roos and are 4-2 when playing at home

  
How It Happened 
Q1: North Dakota 18, Kansas City 16
Q2: North Dakota 27, Kansas City 40
Q3: North Dakota 40, Kansas City 59
Q4: North Dakota 56, Kansas City 77
 
Up Next
North Dakota women's basketball will hit the road for its lone contest of the week at South Dakota on Wednesday, January 14. Tip is currently set for 7 p.m. in Vermillion.

For more information on North Dakota women's basketball, visit FightingHawks.com or follow on social media @UNDwbasketball.