GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | LIVE AUDIO
GAME NO. 9 | DEC. 13, 2012
KENNESAW STATE AT UNC ASHEVILLE | 6:00 P.M. ET
ASHEVILLE, N.C. | KIMMEL ARENA (3,200)
THE GAME:
The 2-6 Kennesaw State women’s basketball team travels to Asheville, N.C., to take on the Bulldogs this Thursday, Dec. 13, looking to come away with the win over the 2-7 UNC Asheville squad.
After an 11 day break, the Owls will aim to take advantage of the struggling defense of the Bulldogs of the Big South Conference.
THE COVERAGE
LIVE AUDIO: Play-by-play will be available from Kennesaw State starting at 5:50 p.m. with Brandon Scardigli 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 UNCABulldogs.com at the start of the game.
THE SERIES
The all-time series between the two schools is tied, 1-1, with the Owls winning the last outing, 83-79, on Dec. 17, 2011.
Sametria Gideon (Madison, Ala./Bob Jones HS) was good for a career-high 25 points and nine rebounds during the win for KSU, helping the black and gold overcome an 11-point deficit during the win.
THE OPPONENT
UNC Asheville comes into the game off of a big, 70-48 win over Columbia College this past week, snapping a four game losing skid for the Bulldogs.
Asheville is averaging just 52.4 points per game this season while allowing 65.1 to its opponents on average. The Bulldogs have just one player averaging double-digit scoring in Shonese Jones and are shooting just .346 percent from the field as a team.
LAST OUTING
Even with two solid performances from Gideon and
Kristina Wells (Douglasville, Ga./Douglas County HS), the Kennesaw State women’s basketball team fell short at Georgia State on Sunday, Dec. 2, taking a 63-42 loss in the rivalry matchup on the road.
After being outscored in the first half 33-15, the Owls went on a 6-0 run midway through the second half to cut the Georgia State lead down to just 14 points, 47-33. Wells scored all six points for KSU during the run before the Panthers ultimately won it, 63-42.
Kennesaw State picked up 35 rebounds, nine of those from Gideon and six from junior Chantel Kennedy (Brooklyn, N.Y./Colorado State).
Gideon also led the KSU offense with her 12 point outing while Wells was right behind with 11, putting in a game high five free throws, while
Chelsea Mason (Bellevue, Neb./Bellevue West HS) finished with nine. Wells was tops for the Owls with four assists and a steal while Gideon earned one of three blocks for the black and gold on the afternoon.
As a team, the Owls committed just eight personal fouls, allowing the Panthers just five free-throw attempts, of which they made just one.
THE NUMBERS
The Owls continue to be one of the best perimeter defenses in the Atlantic Sun Conference, allowing opponents just a .273 success rate from beyond the arc.
KSU plays one of the cleanest games in the country, ranking seventh in the NCAA in fewest personal fouls committed per game with an 11.75 average.
NEXT UP
The Owls will wrap up their five-game road trip with their longest of the year, traveling nearly 1,000 miles to San Marcos, Texas, to face off with Texas State. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 18.
KSU will be back home in the Convocation Center three days later on Friday, Dec. 21, with Georgia Southern coming to town for a 7 p.m. contest.
NEWS AND NOTES
Double-Double Machine
Senior Gideon is now averaging a double-double on the year with 11.6 points per game and 10 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 Jacksonville State. 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 10.0 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.
