Jan. 12, 2008
Box Score
KENNESAW, Ga. - The Kennesaw State women's basketball team got an all-around team effort as four players scored in double figures to propel the Lady Owls to a 69-54 win over rival North Florida on Saturday afternoon at the KSU Convocation Center.
The victory gave KSU (7-7, 2-0 Atlantic Sun Conference) its best start in conference play as a member of the A-Sun and also pulled the Lady Owls to .500 for the first time since November 23. With the loss, UNF falls to 7-8 overall and 2-1 in the league.
"We played great defensively," KSU head coach Colby Tilley said. "Our pressure on the defensive end of the court was the key to the victory and I am glad the girls bought into what the coaching staff preached prior to the game."
The Black and Gold forced 30 UNF turnovers, converting the give-a-ways into 32 points. 16 steals helped the KSU cause, led by Greteya Kelley's seven and Britteny Henderson's six.
UNF jumped out to its only lead of the game two minutes in after Jennifer Guldager converted a lay-up and the following free throw, but from that point on, the Lady Owls controlled play. KSU put together a quick 11-0 run over the next five minutes to take a 13-6 lead on a Montnique Nixon lay-up.
After a Guldager lay-up cut the lead to three with 10:44 to go in the first half, the Black and Gold put together another unanswered run, this time a 8-0 spurt, capped by a pair of Henderson free throws to give KSU a 23-12 lead. The Lady Owls kept up their pressure defense, forcing five UNF turnovers in the last five minutes and going into the break with a 36-24 advantage.
KSU picked up where it left on at the break by opening the second half by making three of its first five shots to take a 16-point lead. A lay-up by Shennette Sheffield pulled the Lady Ospreys within 13 with 13 minutes to go, but Henderson took over, scoring the next three baskets for Kennesaw State, giving the Lady Owls a 50-35 lead.
UNF made it close in the final five minutes, putting together a 10-0 run to cut the lead to 62-52, but a Nikki Gurley three-pointer squashed any hope of a miracle comeback and propelled the Black and Gold to its best conference start since 2003-04.
Henderson led the offensive charge for KSU, scoring a game-high 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field. Ashley Johnson posted a season-best 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting and 2-of-3 form behind the three-point arc, while Kelley added 12 and Jennifer Baker had 10 to round out the double-digit scorers.
Gurley and DeAndrea Bullock added a spark off the bench as each finished the game with six points.
The Lady Owls will close out their three game homestand when they play host to the first place Jacksonville Dolphins on Monday night. Tip time is set for 7:00 p.m. and all the action can be seen live on A-Sun.TV.
