Jan. 5, 2008
Box Score
KENNESAW, Ga. - The Kennesaw State women's basketball team used a balanced scoring attack as four players finished in double figures to help the Lady Owls to a 68-52 win over Mercer in the Atlantic Sun Conference opener on Saturday afternoon at the KSU Convocation Center.
The Lady Owls (6-7, 1-0 A-Sun), who have won three of their last four games, were led once again by forward Britteny Henderson. The Atlanta native paced KSU with her third straight double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Greteya Kelley chipped in 12 points and a game-high five steals, while Nikki Gurley added a season-best 12 points with a 4-for-7 performance from three-point land. Montinique Nixon rounded out the double digits scorers with 11 points after going 4-for-7 from the field.
The game started as a back-and-forth affair, with neither team opening more than a four-point lead 10 minutes into the game. Mercer (3-11, 0-1) held its only lead at 11-7 after TaShera Lewis converted a lay-up at the 13:32 mark. The Lady Owls put together a quick 8-0 run to go back ahead at 15-11, capped by a Gia Lockett three-pointer.
Later in the half, with the Bears up four points at 22-18, the Black and Gold would use another run, this time a 13-2 spurt to take its largest lead of the half. The Lady Owls led 31-24 after Greteya Kelley's jumper and held the momentum for the final three minutes of the first stanza to go into halftime up 34-26.
The Lady Owls picked up right where they left off to start the second half, scoring the first four points to push their lead to 13. KSU went ahead by as many as 16 halfway through the second period and looked well on its way to cruising to an easy victory.
However, Mercer put together a rally and pulled with eight at 58-50 after a Sarah Russell lay-up with 6:52 to go. After a Lady Owls timeout, the Black and Gold regrouped and put together yet another 8-0 run to the push the game out of reach.
Russell led the Bears' offense with 16 points on 8-of-13 shooting. LaToya Jackson and TaShera Lewis each had 10 as Mercer lost its sixth straight contest.
Kennesaw State made a season-best eight shots from behind the three-point arc, led by Gurley's four, while Ashley Johnson had two and Baker and Lockett added one. The Lady Owls held their own on the defensive end of the court, out-rebounding Mercer 40-35 and converting 26 Bears' turnovers into 19 points.
The Black and Gold will be back in action next Saturday, January 12, when they continue their three-game homestand against long-time rival, North Florida. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
