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POSTGAME INTERVIEW
KENNESAW, Ga. – In the home finale for a pair of Kennesaw State women’s basketball seniors, the black and gold fell, 55-49, to Atlantic Sun Conference newcomer Northern Kentucky in the final game at the KSU Convocation Center in the 2012-13 campaign.
Sametria Gideon (Madison, Ala./Bob Jones HS), Kennesaw State’s (7-21, 3-13 A-Sun) all-time leading scorer and rebounder, was good for 13 points and eight rebounds while
Ashley Holliday (Greenville, S.C./J.L. Mann Academy) earned five points to go with her five assists.
“It’s been a very emotional day,” said Gideon of her final home contest. “It’s been a great career here at KSU and I see the Athletics Department moving in great directions and I wish everybody the best.”
“It wasn’t real to me until we got to shoot around,” added Holliday. “This last year has been really tough but it’s by far been the best I’ve had at Kennesaw State with all the changes between the coaching staff and Vaughn (Williams). I’m going to miss it.”
The Owls got off to a hot start, going up on Northern Kentucky (13-12, 10-6 A-Sun) by 10 points in the first four minutes, 15-5, five of those points coming from freshman
Chelsea Mason (Bellevue, Neb./Bellevue West HS) and four from the senior Gideon.
But the momentum wore off as the Norse ended the first half on a 24-4 run to go into the half with a 10-point advantage, 31-21, after Gideon put in the final basket of the period on a layup with 30 seconds on the clock.
After NKU put in the first two points of the second half, the Owls took control of the court, erasing a 12-point Norse lead over a seven-minute span to make it 36-31 Northern Kentucky with 12:36 to play. Mason then put in a triple followed by a layup and a jumper from
Chantel Kennedy (Brooklyn, N.Y./Colorado St.) to cut the lead down to one, 41-40, with 8:02 remaining in regulation.
But an offensive spurt from the visitors put the Norse up by seven, 53-46, with 36 seconds remaining as the Owls fell in their 2012-13 home finale, 55-49.
“The second half we beat them,” Kennesaw State head coach
Nitra Perry said. “We picked up our intensity, but unfortunately we put ourselves in a hole in the first half. It was the tale of two halves when we played them up there the first time and it was the same story here. We definitely have the belief that we can play with any team though after battling with a very good NKU.”
Wells led the black and gold offensively with 19 points, going 7-of-13 from the field and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line with a pair of assists and steals.
As a team, the Owls shot 40 percent from the field, 46 percent in the second half alone, as KSU outscored NKU in the final period, 28-24.
The Owls now have two games remaining on the regular season schedule, both away from home, starting this Thursday, Feb. 28 at Stetson. Opening tip against the Hatters is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET.
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.
Around the A-Sun
Jacksonville 73, USC Upstate 54
Mercer 53, Lipscomb 31
East Tennessee State 65, North Florida 60
