GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE VIDEO
GAME NO. 8 | Dec. 2, 2012
KENNESAW STATE AT GEORGIA STATE | 2:00 P.M. ET
ATLANTA, GA. | GEORGIA STATE SPORTS ARENA (3,455)
THE GAME:
The Kennesaw State women’s basketball team aims to build on recent success this Sunday, Dec. 2, at 2 p.m. ET when the Owls head to crosstown rival Georgia State.
The black and gold, 2-5, head out winners in two out of their last three games and look to snap a three-game win streak for the Panthers who are holding steady at 4-1 this season.
Head coach
Nitra Perry has the KSU defense on a roll and will look to slow down the up-tempo offense of Georgia State, coached by former Owl Sharon Baldwin-Tener.
THE COVERAGE
LIVE AUDIO: Play-by-play will be available from Kennesaw State starting at 1:50 p.m. with Ben Poplin narrating the action from courtside. The stream is available online and is free of charge for listeners.
LIVE STATS: Statistical updates will be available from GeorgiaStateSports.com at the start of the game.
LIVE VIDEO: A live web stream will be available from Georgia State starting 15 minutes prior to opening tip.
THE SERIES
The Owls trail in the all-time series to the Panthers, 2-0, but made last year’s game interesting with a late rally to cut a 15 point lead to just a six point win for GSU, 65-59, on Dec. 14, 2011 in Atlanta, Ga.
Kristina Wells (Douglasville, Ga./Douglas County HS) was good for 11 points, eight rebounds and five assists while playing all 40 minutes.
THE OPPONENT
Georgia State comes in on a three-game win streak and undefeated on its home floor at 3-0. The Panthers run a fast-paced offense that averages 71.6 points per game while holding opponents to just 58 points per game on the other end.
GSU has three players averaging in double-digit figures scoring including Kayla Nolan, Cody Paulk and Kendra Long.
Head coach Baldwin-Tener was a two-year starter for Kennesaw State during the mid-1990’s, averaging 18 points per game her freshman season and 20 during her sophomore year before transferring to Georgia.
LAST OUTING
On a pair of made free throws with under four seconds to go, Kennesaw State sophomore guard Wells put the Owls in the win column at Jacksonville State with a 51-50 thriller at Pete Mathews Coliseum.
Wells went to the line with just three ticks left on the game clock after being fouled by Jacksonville State’s Marikate Gardler with the Owls down one, 50-49. With a ruckus student section behind the basket, a composed Wells sank both freebies to give the black and gold their second win of the year
The Owls rallied behind 13-point outings by
Sametria Gideon (Madison, Ala./Bob Jones HS), #Ashley Holliday# (Greenville, S.C./J.L. Mann Academy) and
Chelsea Mason (Bellevue, Neb./Bellevue West HS) with Gideon earning her fourth double-double of the year with 12 rebounds. Holliday was good for three of the Owl’s four three-pointers after earning her first spot in the KSU starting five this season.
Chantel Kennedy (Brooklyn, N.Y./Colorado St.) also chipped in with her 12 rebounds.
For the first time this season the Owls outrebounded and scored more points in the paint than their opponent, bringing in a season high 48 rebounds to JSU’s 36 and putting up 24 points in the paint compared to the Gamecock’s 22.
THE NUMBERS
Sunday’s game will pair together two of the nation’s top three-point defenses. KSU is holding opponents to a 24.6 three-point field goal percentage while GSU is keeping teams to just a 15.9-percent success rate from beyond the arc.
This weekend’s game program will feature 10 Ga., natives between the Owls and the Panthers. That number increases to 15 including coaches.
NEXT UP
The Owls will have just two more games remaining on the current road trip with UNC-Asheville on Dec. 13, followed by the longest trip of the season on Dec. 18, at Texas State. KSU will return to the Convocation Center on Dec. 21, with Georgia Southern coming to town.
NEWS AND NOTES
Staying Out of Foul Trouble
The black and gold play one of the cleanest games in the country, ranking in the top 15 in the NCAA in fewest fouls per game. The Owls commit fewer than 12 infractions per contest and were charged with a season low of 10 during their last outing at Jacksonville State, allowing the Gamecocks just seven free throws.
Double-Double Machine
Senior Gideon is now averaging a double-double on the year with 11.6 points per game and 10.1 rebounds per game. Gideon is one of only a handful of players in the NCAA with four double-doubles in the early season, earning her last with a 13 point, 12 rebound outing at JSU. The senior had a streak of three straight double-doubles earlier this season.
Top Two Rebounders
Gideon and Kennedy now rank as the top two rebounders in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Gideon leads the pack with her 10.1 rebounds per game average with Kennedy a close runner-up, holding a 9.6 rebounds per game average. Wells also holds a spot in the top 20 with five boards per outing.
Minutes Played
The Owls have a stronghold on the minutes per game category in the league standings, putting three players in the top 10. Kennedy leads all A-Sun players with 38.3 minutes per game and has four games playing all 40 minutes. Gideon places fifth with 33.6 minutes and Wells sits at tenth with 32.1.
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.
