By: by KSU Sports Information
Game Notes | Live Audio | @KSUAllAccess
KENNESAW, Ga. - Kennesaw State's women's basketball team will conclude its six-game road trip Wednesday evening as the Lady Owls take on Georgia State at the GSU Sports Arena at 7 p.m. Live audio will be available via KSU All-Access beginning at 6:50 p.m.
The Lady Owls (3-5) are coming off a tough, 76-39, loss at the hands of Chattanooga Monday night. For the first time in KSU's Division I era, the leading scorer for the Lady Owls did not reach at least 10 points as Ashley Holliday and Kristina Wells each scored eight to lead the squad. The 39 points also matched the lowest point total for the Lady Owls in a game since moving to Division I, tying the mark set against Miami in the 2010-11 opener.
The loss at Chattanooga was a stark turnaround from the previous performance the Lady Owls had on the court when they won, 74-55, at Lipscomb. While Taylor Mills scored 28 in the win over the Lady Bisons, she was held scoreless in the Monday night loss to the Lady Mocs.
Several Lady Owls rank well, however, in the latest NCAA statistical rankings. Four different Lady Owls are ranked in steals per game, with Mills leading the way for KSU at 21st in the country with 3.6 as of the Dec. 11 rankings. Holliday is 68th at 2.9 steals, Wells ranks 145th at 2.4 steals, and Lisa Capellan is 262nd at 2.0 steals per contest. Sametria Gideon ranks 58th in the country at 9.4 rebounds per game, while Mills and Holliday are both in the top 15 in 3-pointers per contest. Mills is 8th in the country with 3.3 3-pointers per game, with Hollday at 14th with 3.0.
Georgia State (2-4) has not played since a Dec. 4 loss to Hofstra. The Panthers are led offensively by Kendra Long's 15.3 points per game. Senior Chan Harris is almost averaging a double-double with 10.8 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.
Tonight's game will feature a pair of coaches who will be strategizing against their former schools. KSU assistant coach Dee Dee (Merriweather) Dennis played for four years at Georgia State. She played for the Panthers from 2001-05, then worked on the staff as an adminstrative assistant and then an assistant coach for the Panthers. Merriweather was a point guard and a member of two NCAA tournament teams at GSU. She was also a two-time winner of Georgia State's award for the student-athlete who best shows true sportsmanship on the playing court, the Bruce LaBudde Award.
On the other side, Georgia State head coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener will be coaching for the first time against the school she initially played for in her college career. Baldwin-Tener holds two of the top 10 scoring seasons in KSU's history with a 20.2 season in 1986-87 and an 18.1 season in 1985-86. She also had a 105-steal season as a freshman. After having been the Georgia Class 4A player of the year with a 21-point average at Wills High (now Campbell merger) in Smyrna, she became the NAIA District Rookie of the Year in 1985-86.
The two teams have met three times prior to Wednesday night's showdown, but only once with KSU as a Division I member. The Panthers defeated KSU, 77-52, in the season opener of the 2009-10 campaign.
Following Wednesday night's contest, the Lady Owls will be back in action Saturday afternoon at the KSU Convocation Center against UNC Asheville. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m.
