By: by KSU Sports Information
KENNESAW, Ga. - Sametria Gideon scored a career-high 25 points, leading four Lady Owls in double-figures in scoring as the Kennesaw State women's basketball team rallied from an 11-point deficit to stun UNC Asheville, 83-79, at the KSU Convocation Center Saturday night.
"I think our players really grew up in this game," said KSU head coach Colby Tilley. "We could have folded up when we got down 11 like we have in the past, but we kept fighting."
The Lady Owls (4-6) trailed for the entire contest until late in the second half. Down 11 with just under six minutes to go, a 3-pointer by Ashley Holliday sparked an, 8-0, run to get the Lady Owls back into the contest. After a steal by Elaina Gray on the defensive end, Taylor Mills connected on a 3-pointer of her own to cut the lead down to five, 73-68. Following a defensive stop, Holliday found Kristina Wells alone for a lay-up to slice the lead down to three with 4:30 left in the contest.
Asheville (2-7) would score on their next possession, but Gideon connected on a lay-up, drawing a foul in the process to cut the lead down to three, 75-72, at the under-4 media timeout. Gideon would miss the shot from the charity stripe, but Wells would get the rebound and the stick-back to bring KSU within a point, 75-74. The Bulldogs would have a chance to extend the lead after getting an offensive rebound, but instead the visitors threw the ball away. When Holliday picked the ball up at the half-court stripe and went the rest of the floor for the lay-up, KSU had its first lead of the game.
The visitors would answer back after a 30-second timeout, getting a 3-pointer from Grace Blaylock with exactly two minutes to go in the contest to regain the lead, 78-76. That would prove to be the last made field-goal of the game for Asheville, as KSU clamped down on defense. Gideon would knife to the basket for a lay-in to knot the score again, and then would force a steal on the other end of the court with 70 seconds left in the game. Wells would convert on her shot on the other end to give KSU a two-point edge, 80-78.
Asheville had a chance to tie the game at the free-throw line, but Brittany Gwyn missed her second shot and Gideon grabbed her ninth rebound of the contest. The rebound would begin a litany of fouls by Asheville, as with 35 seconds left in the game, the Bulldogs had committed just three personals in the second half. Eventually, with 18 seconds left, Mills was fouled and sent to the line for the 1-and-1 opportunity. KSU's leading free-throw shooter calmly drained both shots to get the lead up to three, 82-79. Asheville still had a chance to tie, but Blaylock's 3-point shot drew nothing but iron, and Mills boxed out Asheville's rebounders as the ball bounced out of bounds with 2.4 seconds left, flipping over to the Lady Owls. Holliday would get fouled with 1.8 seconds left. The junior made the first shot at the line, then intentionally missed the second, letting the clock run down to a celebration for the Lady Owls after their comeback victory.
Gideon played just 28 minutes but was nearly unstoppable in her time on the court. The junior from Madison, Ala., went 12-of-16 from the field and fell a rebound shy of a double-double. Six of Gideon's nine rebounds were on the offensive glass, helping KSU to a 30-16 advantage in second-chance points.
"She's an all-conference player," coach Tilley said of Gideon. "She came in today not 100 percent, but when it was time to go, she came out and she played a great game."
"I'm a little bit of pain, but you just have to fight through it," Gideon said following the victory. "I'm always going to work hard, and even though I'm in pain, I'm going to do what I can until I can't do it anymore."
Holliday crept close to triple-double numbers, getting nine points while setting career-bests in rebounds and assists with seven each. Mills had 16 points on the night and also dished out five assists to go along with a steal in 40 minutes of action. Wells scored 14 points for her sixth game in double-figures this season. Lisa Capellan followed her 13-point effort against Georgia State with 11 more in the win. In her first action of the season, Elaina Gray had six points and set new career-bests in rebounds (9), assists (4) and steals (3).
KSU trailed, 45-41 at the half, as Asheville connected on 18-of-31 from the field in the opening 20 minutes. Seven of Asheville's 10 3-pointers in the contest came in the opening 20 minutes, with Lindsey Thompson scoring all 11 of her points in the first half. Kelli Riles, who entered the contest as the nation's leading rebounder, had 14 rebounds and 10 points for a double-double. Shonese Jones led Asheville in scoring with 20 on the night.
Next up for the Lady Owls is a 7 p.m. contest with Texas State Monday night at the KSU Convocation Center. Live coverage will be available via ASun.TV and KSU All-Access.
