Feb. 23, 2007
Box Score
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - After hanging with the fast-paced East Tennessee State Lady Bucs for 35 minutes, the Kennesaw State women's basketball team ran out of gas down the stretch as the Lady Owls fell 78-60 at the Memorial Center on Friday night in front of a regionally-televised audience on Comcast Sports Southeast.
Kennesaw State (11-15, 7-9 A-Sun) tied the game at 42-42 with 16:20 left but ETSU put together a quick 6-0 over the next two minutes, capped by an easy lay-up from Brooke Wilhoit. The Lady Owls pulled to within four points on two separate occasions in the middle of the second half, but got no closer as the Lady Bucs pulled away in the remaining minutes.
Both teams struggled to find their touch early in the game as neither could extend more than a six-point lead ten minutes into the contest. Despite nine turnovers over the first quarter of the game, the Lady Owls hung with the second-place Lady Bucs on the strength of great inside offensive play and strong rebounding from Stephanie Scearce and Rosetta Hollis.
Playing with a thin roster after a bevy of injuries this season, head coach Colby Tilley saw his upstart squad make a strong push towards the end of the first stanza as they closed the half on a 10-3 run.
A Rosetta Hollis jumper with 1:14 left cut the lead to one at 32-31. ETSU went back up by four after Siarre Evans nailed a distant three-pointer, but Hollis once again responded for Kennesaw State to hit a basket just before the buzzer to send the Lady Owls into the lockeroom trailing by just one at 35-34.
Hollis posted her fourth double-double of the season with a game-high 17 points and 13 rebounds. Gia Lockett added 11, while Scearce had 10.
Evans led ETSU with 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the floor. Michele DeVault posted 12 points while Kelly Turman and Latisha Belcher each had 10. Wilhoit added a career-high 13 assists for the Lady Bucs.
The Lady Owls will return home for the final two games of the season when they host in-state rival Mercer on March 2.
