Dec. 15, 2008
Box Score
KENNESAW, Ga.--Junior Gia Lockett scored a Kennesaw State Division I-record 36 points to lead Kennesaw State's women's basketball team to an 82-61 win over Georgia Southern on Monday night at the KSU Convocation Center.
On the same day that junior Greteya Kelley was named Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week, it was another junior that stole the show. Lockett scored 24 points in the first half on 9-of-11 shooting, including 5-of-6 from the three-point line. The Snellville, Ga., native added a dozen points in the second half to set a new KSU D-I record.
If not for a traveling violation and two missed free throws, Lockett would have topped the 40-point mark, which would have broken the KSU all-time record. The exercise science major drained a three pointer at the 4:08 mark of the second half, but was called for traveling to negate the basket.
"I made my first few shots and Coach [Colby] Tilley kept calling plays to get me the ball," said Lockett. "I haven't been shooting that well lately, but hopefully this will carry over to [Thursday night against East Tennessee State]."
Georgia Southern (6-3) led 12-6 with just under 13 minutes to go in the second half when the Lady Owls (3-4) went on a 15-0 run, fueled by nine points from Lockett. The lead would never be below four again for KSU as Lockett and junior DeAndrea Bullock combined to score the final 21 points of the half for the Lady Owls, giving KSU a 42-21 lead at the half.
"Gia was just phenominal for us tonight," said KSU's Coach Tilley. "Our goal as a team is to finish the game with an average of a point per shot, and when you have a player like Gia go 14-of-17, that really helps us out."
The lead expanded to 30 for Kennesaw State in the second half after a three-point play by Lockett made the score 69-39. The lead would never get below 20 over the final 16 minutes of the game for KSU.
Junior center Montinique Nixon scored 13 points for the Lady Owls, while senior guard Lennisha Johnson scored 10 on 5-of-10 shooting. Senior guard Jennifer Baker and freshman guard Angie Smith tied for game-high honors in rebounds with eight each.
J'Lisia Ogburn and Samantha Williams each scored 12 points in 21 minutes for Georgia Southern, who lost for the first time to an unranked opponent this season. The Lady Eagles out-rebounded the Lady Owls, 44-42, but KSU shot 32-of-67 from the field, compared to just 20-of-61 for the visiting team.
Monday night's game was the first meeting in women's basketball between the two schools.
KSU will return to action on Thursday when East Tennessee State visits the Convocation Center in the first meeting of the season between the top two teams in both of the A-Sun's pre-season polls. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.
