By: By Libby Knight
KENNESAW STATE (1-8) VS COLUMBIA (1-9)
GAME 10 | DECEMBER 21, 2013
KENNESAW, Ga. | KSU CONVOCATION CENTER (4,600)
GAME NOTES | LIVE STATS | LIVE AUDIO | TICKETS | PROMOTIONS | TWITTER
THE GAME:
Kennesaw State returns home for its final contest before the Christmas holiday break as the Owls host Columbia on Saturday, Dec. 21 at KSU Convocation Center. Tip is set for 2 p.m. ET.
THE COVERAGE:
LIVE STATS: Statistical updates will be available from KSUOwls.com at the start of Saturday's game.
LIVE AUDIO: Nathan McCreary and Theresa Gernatt will be on the call for Saturday's game.
TWITTER: Follow the Kennesaw State women's basketball team on Twitter @
KSUOwlsWBB to receive updates throughout the game.
THE OPPONENT:
Columbia
After winning their season opener at LIU-Brooklyn, the Lions have lost nine consecutive games and are coming off an 87-67 defeat at Iona on Monday. Columbia is led by Carolyn Binder and Miwa Tachibana, who average 12.4 and 10.1 points per game, respectively. On the glass, Tori Oliver pulls down a team-high 5.6 rebounds per contest. As a team, the Lions are getting outrebounded by an average of 4.7 boards per game.
THE SERIES:
This will be the first-ever meeting between the Owls and the Lions. Columbia is 1-1 against Atlantic Sun Conference teams, with a home win over East Tennessee State in 1990 and a road loss at Stetson in 1997.
This is the second-consecutive game in which the Owls have played a team for the first time in program history after facing off against Georgia for the first time on Sunday.
LAST TIME OUT:
The Kennesaw State women's basketball team fell to No. 16 Georgia, 91-32, at the Stegeman Coliseum on Sunday afternoon (Dec. 15). Junior guards
Kristina Wells and
Bria Young led the Owls, scoring 24 of KSU's 32 points with each posting 12 points in the contest. Wells added 11 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season, while Young's 12 points set a season-high for the Suwanee, Ga., native in 2013-14.
NEXT UP:
Kennesaw State will have the week off for the Christmas holiday before returning to the court for its final nonconference game of the season and the last contest in 2013 as the Owls face Alabama A&M on Sunday, Dec. 29 at 2 p.m. ET at the KSU Convocation Center.
NEWS AND NOTES:
Rebounding on Offense
The Owls continue to be a strong offensive rebounding team, ranking second in the Atlantic Sun Conference in offensive rebounding percentage (.362) and fourth in offense rebounds with 125 total offensive boards for an average of 13.9 per game.
Wells Leads the Way
Junior guard
Kristina Wells has been the consistent force behind the Owls and ranks in the top four in the Atlantic Sun Conference in steals (2.1 spg), rebounding (9.0 rpg) and minutes played (34.4 mpg). Her 12.7 points per game also rank 13th in the A-Sun.
Limiting Opponents on the Glass
Defensively, KSU ranks second in rebounding defense and is holding teams to 37.9 rebounds per contest. For the season, the Owls hold a +1.0 rebounding margin.
Sawyers Strong Offensively
Freshman guard
Deandrea Sawyers is averaging a team-high 14 points per game in the last five games, including back-to-back 24-point outings against Jacksonville State and Murray State.
Owls on TV
This season the Owls will play a total of 13 games on the ESPN3 network, including 10 at the KSU Convocation Center, and one on CSS, the most televised games in program history. There is only two short weeks until the start of conference action when Owl fans will be able to catch all nine home league contests on the ESPN3 network.
Dixon on the Boards
Junior forward
Valescia Dixon ranks 16th in the A-Sun with 5.3 rebounds per game, including averaging 2.3 offensive rebounds per contest, which sits 11th in the league.
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.
Season and single game tickets are currently available for all the home court action for the Owls and can be purchased by following the link HERE.
- #GoKSUOwls -
