By: KSU Sports Information
Game Notes I Live Stats
Watch I Listen I Coach Tilley Pregame
KENNESAW, Ga. – With only two games remaining in its 2011-12 regular season, the Kennesaw State women’s basketball team still has a lot on the line in terms of postseason seeding as it hosts Belmont on Thursday at 4:45 p.m.
KSU currently sits in fifth place in the A-Sun standings trailing North Florida by a half game for fourth, while Jacksonville is right behind the Lady Owls sitting a half game back in sixth place. Depending on all the results from this weekend’s slate of games Kennesaw State can move all the way up to the number three seed, but it can also fall to as low as the number eight spot. The highest seed KSU has ever achieved in the A-Sun Tournament was the No. 5 seed in the 2009-10 season.
Head Coach Colby Tilley knows his team is in a good position right now, but he also knows his team must remain focused and finish the regular-season off strong.
“We have been talking about this for weeks now in that the season will come down to the last two games and now it has,” coach Tilley said. “The girls know how important these last two games are for us so it will only heighten their desire to accomplish our goal which is to get the best seed we possibly can. Most of it is out of our hands because we don’t know how the other games will end up, but we can better control our destiny by winning both games this weekend starting with Belmont on Thursday.”
The Lady Owls have gotten themselves into this position by winning four of their last five games, with their only loss coming in the final game of their River City trip last weekend.
Kennesaw State got a career-high 19 points from freshman Kristina Wells, but it wasn’t enough as their four-game winning streak came to an end with a 64-56 loss at North Florida. The KSU offense was out of sync to start the game as it missed 12 of its first 14 shots from the field. Kennesaw State started the second half on an 8-1 run to make the score 36-30. However, that is the closest it would get as UNF countered right back with a backbreaking 13-5 run to push its lead back up to 14 as it held on for the win.
Even though one four-game winning streak came to an end for KSU it looks to extend another streak as it has won four consecutive games at the KSU Convocation Center. Efficiency on the offensive end has been key during this home stretch as the Lady Owls have been averaging 70.0 points per game, while shooting over 48 percent from the field. Junior guard Chelcey Farrar has been a big factor in the streak as she is averaging 13.3 points and 7.0 rebounds, while shooting 63 percent from the floor.
Thursday’s opponent has given Kennesaw State trouble over the years as Belmont holds a 9-4 edge in the all-time series, including winning four straight contests. The last two games between the two squads have been determined by three points or less including when a matchup earlier this season when the Bruins snuck by the Lady Owls, 57-55. Junior forward Sametria Gideon looks to put KSU over the top this time around as she has averaged 7.5 points and 12.5 rebounds in her last two games against Belmont.
The game will be the first of a double-header with the men’s basketball team as both games will have live audio available via KSU All-Access. Thursday will also be Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night as any KSU employee can bring a guest to the game for free.
