By: by Jason Hanes
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KENNESAW, Ga. - Sametria Gideon recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 15 points and 14 rebounds as the Kennesaw State women's basketball team fell, 73-61, to East Tennessee State in an Atlantic Sun Conference contest Wednesday night at the KSU Convocation Center.
The Lady Owls (3-9, 0-4) started the contest connecting on just two of their first 15 shots from the field and found themselves trailing for the duration of the game. Still, the Lady Owls used tough defense to keep the score tight. Trailing 25-7, the Lady Owls went on a, 12-0, run swoop back into the game. Tamasha Bolden capped the run to bring the Lady Owls within six, 25-19.
ETSU (6-7, 3-1) would push the lead back up to 12 in the first half, but the Lady Owls kept fighting. A bucket by Gideon with five seconds left in the half trimmed ETSU's halftime lead to six, 37-31.
A jumper by Gideon brought the Lady Owls within four, 37-33, to start the second half, but the Lady Owls could get no closer. "We played well in spurts, but we just didn't make smart plays when we got close," said KSU head coach Colby Tilley. "We have to be able to figure out a way to play well for the entire game and not just in spurts."
A, 7-0, run by ETSU after Gideon's jumper pushed the lead back into double-digits for ETSU. The lead would swell as high as 21 before KSU battled back to cut the final deficit to 12.
Several Lady Owls had season-highs in points. Elaina Gray scored a personal-best 10 points for KSU, while Christie Leverette had seven. Christine Wylie had six points for KSU to go along with a season-high four blocks.
Natalie Pickwell led ETSU in scoring with 21, with 12 points coming via the 3-point shot. Destiny Mitchell had 18 for the Lady Bucs, with Gwen Washington adding 11 and Latisha Belcher chipping in 10.
The Lady Owls will be back in action this Saturday at 1 p.m. against Campbell in Buies Creek, N.C., in an A-Sun contest.
