By: by Mark Toma
KENNESAW, Ga. - For the first time a nationally ranked opponent hit the hardwood at Kennesaw State, but unfortunately for the Lady Owls they faced a No. 25-ranked Georgia Tech squad that was more than up for the challenge as the Yellow Jackets defeated the Lady Owls, 94-48, at the KSU Convocation Center.
“Georgia Tech is an excellent team and they showed that tonight,” said Kennesaw State head coach Colby Tilley. “They played well, were physical, controlled the ball and made their shots.”
The Lady Owls (4-5) stayed within single digits of the Jackets for the first seven minutes and even led briefly when Gia Lockett hit a three-pointer to give the Black and Gold a, 6-5, lead 90 seconds into the game.
With 13:25 remaining, the Lady Owls were within seven points of the Yellow Jackets before Brigitte Ardossi hit a jumper that ignited a 16-3 run over the next five minutes as Georgia Tech (8-2) led, 33-13, with just over eight minutes left in the half.
From that point forward Georgia Tech steadily grew its lead as five Yellow Jackets scored in double figures led by Mo Bennett who scored 23 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Bennett connected on 7-of-12 shots from the field and was 8-for-8 from the foul line.
Georgia Tech led by 30 points at halftime, 48-18, and pushed the lead to 40 points after five minutes of the second half as Bennett connected on a lay-up to make the score 61-20. The Lady Owls weren’t able to come within 40 points the remainder of the game.
“I am disappointed with how we played tonight,” added Tilley. “We were going to be in for a challenge, but we didn’t respond the way I thought we should have. But, we’ll regroup tomorrow and build upon this.”
Brandi Jones scored a game-high 13 points and was 5-for-5 from the foul line for the Lady Owls while Sametria Gideon added 12 points before leaving the game late in the second half with what appeared to be a leg injury.
Deja Foster had 16 points, seven assists and four rebounds for Georgia Tech while Jasmine Blain added 13 points while Chelsea Regins and Androssi added 11 points each.
Kennesaw State shot just 31.3 percent from the field and connected on just 4-of-19 three-pointers while Georgia Tech hit 52 percent from the field and used a 52-20 advantage on the boards to control the game.
The Lady Owls will be back in action on Monday, Dec. 21 when they travel to Statesboro, Ga. to play Georgia Southern. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
