Feb. 25, 2008
Box Score
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Two days after a thrilling overtime victory over Jacksonville, the Kennesaw State women's basketball team let a 12-point second half lead slip away as the Lady Owls fell to North Florida, 50-49, on Monday night at UNF Arena.
KSU (15-12, 10-5 A-Sun) went ahead 44-32 when Greteya Kelley scored her only points of the game after she knifed through the lane and converted a fall-away jumper with 10:08 to go. All things seemed to be going the Lady Owls' way, especially considering UNF's leading scorer, Jennifer Bowen, had been held scoreless.
But how quickly the tide can turn. A renewed sense of urgency coupled with KSU's inability to sink a good shot helped UNF claw its way back into the contest.
Dominique Barbosa and Juliemay Syquio hit consecutive jumpers to cut the advantage to eight at 44-36. Britteny Henderson answered back to push the lead back to ten, but those were the last points KSU would score for the next five and a half minutes.
Meanwhile, the Lady Ospreys (13-14, 8-6) found their offensive stride, putting together an 11-0 run, capped by Bowen's only field goal of the game with 1:18 to play. The basket gave UNF its first lead (48-47) since the 17:24 mark of the first half.
Henderson stepped up like she has done all season and ended the UNF surge when she sank a jumper from the elbow to put KSU back ahead, 49-48, with 48 seconds remaining. The Lady Owls looked again to be destined to win after Shennette Sheffield threw the ball away on North Florida's next possession. Ashley Johnson was subsequently fouled and stepped to the line for a one-and-one.
Normally a good free throw shooter, Johnson missed the front end and Jennifer Guldager grabbed the rebound to give the Lady Ospreys a chance to snap their three-game losing streak to their former Peach Belt Conference rival.
After working the clock to within 10 seconds, Syquio was well defended as she fired a prayer from behind the arc, which missed, but Shandrea Moore gathered the loose ball and put it back up to put UNF back ahead by one.
KSU got a similar look at the basket from the baseline on the other end of the court, but Kelley's three-point attempt sailed long and Henderson couldn't get the rebound by a host of UNF defenders as time expired.
Despite shooting just 22.6 percent, Kennesaw State had control of the game in the first half and led by four at the break. DeAndrea Bullock was big off the bench in the first 20 minutes, scoring seven points after hitting a three and going 4-for-4 form the charity stripe.
Sheffield paced UNF with 18 points, while Moore chipped in nine. Guldager grabbed 14 boards to help the Lady Ospreys out-rebound KSU, 48-35.
Henderson was the only player to finish in double figures for Kennesaw State. The Atlanta native led the Lady Owls with her 11th double-double of the season with 20 points and 15 rebounds. Bullock finished with eight, Jennifer Baker had seven and Jade Robinson and Nikki Gurley finished with five apiece.
The 49 points scored by the Black and Gold tied a season low, when KSU lost, 70-49, to the College of Charleston back on December 12.
The Lady Owls will close out their season when they battle in-state foe, Mercer, on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. in Macon and can be seen on A-Sun.tv.
