GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | LIVE AUDIO
GAME NO. 7 | NOV. 28, 2012
KENNESAW STATE AT JACKSONVILLE STATE | 8:00 P.M. ET
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. | PETE MATHEWS COLISEUM (5,500)
THE GAME:
The Kennesaw State women’s basketball team continues its road-heavy early season schedule this week, heading to Jacksonville, Ala., for an 8 p.m. ET contest with Ohio Valley Conference member Jacksonville State.
KSU brings in its strong defensive mindset that has quieted two of the top offenses in the nation in its past two games, holding Troy well below its season average while allowing just one three-pointer to Wofford in 16 attempts.
The Owls, now 1-5, take on the winless Gamecocks with both teams looking to notch an important victory before beginning conference competition in two weeks.
THE COVERAGE
AUDIO: Play-by-play will be available from Jacksonville State beginning 15 minutes before opening-tip.
LIVE STATS: Statistical updates will be available from JSUGamecockSports.com at the start of the game.
THE SERIES
The Owls hold a 4-2 record over the Gamecocks with the two teams having played every season since 2005-06.
In last season’s game at the KSU Convocation Center,
Ashley Holliday (Greenville, S.C./J.L. Mann Academy) tallied a career high 23 points as the Owls came away with a program record 19 steals.
Kristina Wells (Douglasville, Ga./Douglasville County HS) also had a then career high of 17 points, 14 of which came in the second half, with
Sametria Gideon (Madison, Ala./Bob Jones HS) adding in 14 as well.
LAST OUTING
Senior forward Gideon put in her 1,000
th career point with a nine-point outing on Saturday, Nov. 24, becoming the first Owl to reach that plateau since the black and gold joined the Division I ranks, as the Owls took a 66-49 loss at Wofford.
Wells led the Owls in scoring with 13 points with
Chantel Kennedy (Brooklyn, N.Y./Colorado St.) earning her first double-double as an Owl with 10 points and 13 rebounds, going 5-of-10 from the field with nine defensive boards.
As a team, the Owls scored 28 points in the paint and forced 18 Wofford turnovers on seven KSU steals, three of which were from freshman point guard
Shadelly Guzman (Miami, Fla./Monsignor E. Pace HS).
THE OPPONENT
The Gamecocks of Jacksonville State are still looking for their first win of the 2012-13 season, holding an 0-5 record. The last two losses, both at home for JSU, have been just three point differentials, losing 48-45 to Samford and 72-69 to A-Sun member Jacksonville.
Briana Morrow leads JSU in both points (9.2 ppg) and rebounds (11 rpg) as the Gamecocks struggle to keep control of the ball, giving up an average of 26 turnovers per outing to their opponents.
THE NUMBERS
The Owls are one of the least penalized teams in the country; ranking 15
th in that category with an average of just 12.7 personal fouls per game. Michigan leads the nation with a 9.3 average.
Gideon’s three double-doubles in six games puts the senior at 16
th in the nation individually in total double-doubles.
KSU is allowing the opposition just a 26-percent success rate from beyond the three-point line.
NEXT UP
After Wednesday’s game, the Owls will break until Sunday, Dec. 2, when the team heads down the road to take on cross-town rival Georgia State at 2 p.m. ET. After GSU, the black and gold will play at UNC-Asheville on Dec. 13, before wrapping up the road trip at Texas State on Dec. 18.
The Owls will finally return home on Dec. 21, when KSU hosts Georgia Southern at 7 p.m.
NEWS AND NOTES
Gideon Breaks New Ground
With a free throw at the 1:47 mark in the second half against Wofford, Gideon put herself in the record books as the first Owl to reach the 1,000 point barrier for her career. Gideon currently sits at 1,002 points and is leading the Owls in both points per game (11.3) and field goal percentage (.510).
Top Rebounding Duo
The combination of Gideon and Kennedy is proving to be one of the best in the Atlantic Sun in terms of rebounds. Gideon is currently tops in the league with her 9.8 rebounds per game average and 59 total while Kennedy ranks fourth, averaging 9.2 boards per game and 55 total.
Kennedy Making an Immediate Impact
Junior transfer Kennedy has made her presence known in the first few games, earning her first double-double of the season at Wofford with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Kennedy is also leading the A-Sun in minutes played this season, averaging 38.5 per contest. KSU currently has three players in the top 10 in minutes played with Gideon fifth in the conference at 33.2 and Wells ranking ninth at 31.8.
Young Shooting Well
Bria Young (Suwanee, Ga./Collins Hill HS) is leading the Owls in three-pointers made with 13 so far this season. Young is second in the A-Sun in three-pointers made and is just two shy of taking over the top spot.
To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State women’s basketball news follow the team on Twitter
@KSUOwlNation and
@KSUOwlsWBB or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook.
Kennesaw State University is celebrating 30 years of intercollegiate athletics during the 2012-13 academic year.
