By: KSU Sports Information
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Coach Tilley Pregame
KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State women’s basketball team is set to start a vital three-game home stand starting on Thursday night as it hosts USC Upstate at 7 p.m. on ESPN3.
The Lady Owls (9-13, 4-7 A-Sun) currently sit in eighth place in the Atlantic Sun Conference standings with seven games remaining. A win on Thursday could propel them all the way up to a tie for fifth with North Florida.
KSU is coming off a frustrating road trip in which it played some very solid basketball, but just couldn’t come through with a road win as was the case on Saturday night against Florida Gulf Coast. Kennesaw State hung with the first place Eagles for almost the entire game as it only trailed by one with 15 minutes left in the game. Turnovers would go on to doom KSU as they committed 27 in the game, leading to 21 FGCU points, in a 58-51 loss. Junior forward
Sametria Gideon led the way for the Lady Owls, recording her 21st career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Junior guard
Chelcey Farrar continued her excellent play as she registered her first career double-double with 10 points and a career-high 11 rebounds in the game.
Going into Thursday night’s matchup, KSU has the clear advantage over USC Upstate from a historical standpoint and in recent success as well. The Black and Gold leads the all-time series over the Spartans, 19-7, as the Lady Owls most recent success against USC Upstate came earlier this season with a 74-63 win on Jan 7.
Gideon looks to guide Kennesaw State to a season sweep of the Spartans as she has averaged 12.5 points and 11.5 rebounds in her last two contests. Getting the sweep will not be easy as USC Upstate has won four in a row and head coach
Colby Tilley talked about what his team will have to do to get the job done.
“We are going to have to do a better job of defending their on-ball screens this time around because even though we won up there earlier this season it was a real battle the entire game,” coach Tilley said. “Defense will be the key for us to putting an end to their streak and getting the win tomorrow night.”
The Spartans (6-15, 5-5 A-Sun) are coming off a win over their conference rival East Tennessee State, 74-68, on Saturday. USC Upstate returns three starters from a team that went 17-13 last season. The squad was picked to finish fifth in the A-Sun Preseason Media Poll, and is led by junior guard Tee’Ara Copney who averages 15.8 ppg.
Coach Tilley also touched on how his team will try to slow down Copney who is currently second in the A-Sun in scoring. “We will just try to keep the ball out of her hands as much as possible,” Tilley said. “Chelcey, who is our best wing defender, will start the game guarding her tomorrow as our goal is to limit the number of shots that she takes.”
Fans be sure to get to the game early as the first 500 fans will receive a free Owl Towel, and students will be offered free burritos courtesy of Willy’s.
