By: By Brian Harper
Live Stats
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Kennesaw State women’s basketball team opens Atlantic Sun Conference play tonight at the Curb Event Center in Nashville, Tenn., against the Belmont Bruins.
The Lady Owls (2-4, 0-0 A-Sun) are coming off a loss at home against Gardner-Webb on Dec. 2. Sametria Gideon led the Owls with 11 points and 14 rebounds.
The Black and Gold have had two weeks to prepare for the Bruins (3-5, 0-1 A-Sun) with junior Angie Smith leading the charge. The guard is averaging 14.7 points per game as the leading scorer for head coach Colby Tilley’s squad. Ranked third in the conference for points per game, when Smith scores 15 plus points, the team is 2-1. Gideon is third in the conference in rebounding averaging 9.8 boards a game, which ranks 42nd in the nation.
The Lady Owls open their A-Sun schedule for the second consecutive year against the Bruins. Looking to avenge last year's 68-44 loss, the Owls boast an all-time conference season opener record of 3-2.
Belmont relies heavily on solid defense, as the team is ranked first in the conference in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to 36 percent shooting from the field thus far this season. Belmont lost its conference opener to Mercer on Dec. 2, 69-56. Cacy Burtnett led the Bruins in scoring with 21 points in the loss.
Belmont’s Shaunda Strayhorn earned the A-Sun Player of the Week award last Monday after guiding the Bruins to a win over Tennessee State. Strayhorn went 19-of-22 from the charity stripe en route to a 26-point performance in Belmont’s, 80-66, win.
The Owls also have found motivation after being knocked out in the quarterfinal round of last season's A-Sun Tournament by the Bruins, 70-65 in overtime. Smith led the team with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists.
Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. CST.
