By: by Jason Hanes
Box Score
STATESBORO, Ga. - Gia Lockett scored a team-high 19 points, but it wasn't enough as the Kennesaw State women's basketball team fell to Georgia Southern 80-67 on Monday night in the first game of a four-game road trip for the Lady Owls.
The Lady Owls (4-6) shot 50 percent from the field in the first half, going 11-of-22 from the field, but Georgia Southern used a 15-5 edge on the offensive glass to hold a 35-29 lead at the half. The Lady Eagles were able to outscore the Lady Owls on second-chance points in the first half, 12-4.
Georgia Southern (6-4) led 62-51with 5:14 to go, but back-to-back 3-pointers in less than 60 seconds by Lockett and Brandi Jones brought KSU back within five. Georgia Southern pushed the lead back to seven, but Angie Smith drained a free-throw, then hit a jumper to bring the Lady Owls within four, 67-63 with just under three minutes left in the contest.
The Lady Eagles made it 67-60, but a traditional 3-point play by Smith, who scored 12 off the bench for KSU, brought KSU back within four. Four straight free-throws for Janay Wilson pushed GSU's lead back to eight before Smith struck again with a jumper to make it 73-67 with 50 seconds remaining. Those would be the last points GSU would score, as the Lady Eagles would make four straight free-throws, then get a 3-pointer just before the buzzer to account for the final score.
Montinique Nixon narrowly missed a double-double, scoring eight points and grabbing a game-high nine rebounds. Ashley Holliday had 11 points for the Lady Owls, as KSU had three players score in double figures.
J'Lisa Ogburn scored a career-high 20 points for the Lady Eagles, who evened the all-time series with KSU at 1-1. As a team, the Lady Eagles went 20-of-24 from the charity stripe, while KSU went 17-of-23.
KSU will return to action Dec. 29 when the Lady Owls travel to Chapel Hill, N.C., to face nationally-ranked North Carolina. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
