Kansas City, Mo ? It was just one play, but it encompassed everything that led to the Kansas University women’s basketball team’s embarrassing 63-50 season-opening loss Friday to Missouri-Kansas City.

With a double-digit lead in the final 10 minutes, UMKC’s Tennille Grant, who is 5-foot-10, hopped in the air and swatted 6-2 KU forward Crystal Kemp’s shot into the stands.

Half of the packed Swinney Recreation Center “oohed” and “aahed” for a play that displayed the type of intensity the Kanagroos used to dominate its Big 12 Conference opponent.

“They definitely outplayed us,” said KU coach Marian Washington, whose squad fell to the Kangaroos, of the Mid-Continent Conference, for the second straight season. “I don’t think there is any question about that. They outhustled us. There’s nothing that they didn’t try or do, that I thought didn’t keep them in the game. They played from start to finish.”

UMKC jumped to a 5-0 lead and never looked back. The Kangaroos were unconscious from the three-point line in the first half, knocking down five of seven treys. Both teams actually had double-digit turnovers, too.

But the thing that really glared was the Jayhawks couldn’t match UMKC’s intensity.

While the Kangaroos were outrebounded, 40-36, it seemed UMKC grabbed every important loose ball.

“It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, this team is going to play with great intensity all year,” said UMKC coach Dana Eikenberg of the Kangaroos, who won their season opener for the first time since the 1992-93 season.

“We know that we have got to be able to outhustle, outwork and believe in all 11.”

UMKC senior guard Casey Ellis controlled the tempo in the first half, scoring 12 of her game-high 16 points in the first 20 minutes. Sophomore teammate Carlai Moore controlled the paint with 10 points and five rebounds in the first half and finished with 16 points and 11 boards.

The Jayhawks, which shot 33.9 percent for the game, never found a rhythm. Freshman Lauren Ervin collected team-highs in points (14) and rebounds (seven), but the highly touted freshman played just 16 minutes.

“I didn’t anticipate that she was going to be our leading scorer,” Washington said. “I was trying to look to Crystal (Kemp) and Ta (Tamara Ransburg) to respond.”

The two combined for 13 points and 11 rebounds.

“We feel we’re going to be a good ball club,” Washington said. “I think this is a great stepping stone, it got our attention. We got to look beyond the first game. We got to learn how to play hard, and got to learn to play together.”

Kemp said the loss could serve as motivation.

“It’s embarrassing to come out here and play the way we did,” she said. “But we can’t hang our heads after just one game. We have to build off this any way we can and move forward.”

Kansas will play at Oregon Nov. 28.