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NASHVILLE, Tenn. – It was an historic performance by junior guard Kristina Wells as she posted a triple-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, leading the Kennesaw State women's basketball team to an important 82-78 conference road win over Lipscomb on Thursday night (Jan. 9) at Allen Arena.
 
Wells' triple-double was the first for a KSU player since the Owls have moved to Division I.
 
"It is exciting," said Wells of her triple-double. "It is my first triple-double ever, so I am excited. My teammates helped, if it was not for them I would not have gotten it. We came together as a team and we played hard."
 
With the win, the Owls improve to 4-10 on the season and 2-1 in Atlantic Sun Conference action, while the Bisons fall to 3-11 and 0-3 in league play.
 
"I am extremely proud of the total team effort," said head coach Nitra Perry "We had everybody that went into the game score. Kristina Wells with a triple-double, she really has been the glue for the past several games. She has been phenomenal, not just on the offensive stats, but defensively she has had the task of guarding the best player. She got into foul trouble a little early tonight, but was able to stay disciplined and still do what we needed her to do."
 
Freshman guard Deandrea Sawyers continued her hot shooting behind the arc, equaling her career-high with 24 points and seven three-pointers. It was the second-consecutive game that Sawyers connected on seven treys.
 
In the opening minutes of the contest both teams traded baskets, tying the game at 8-8 before the Bisons scored the next six points for the 14-8 lead with 14:41 left in the first.
 
Lipscomb looked to take control of the contest with its largest lead of the game at 18-10 with 13 minutes left in the half, but the Owls responded over the next two minutes to go ahead 24-23 for the first time since the opening minutes on a Sawyers three-pointer at the 11:25 mark.
 
The Bisons regained a 32-31 lead with 6:46 remaining in the first, before the Owls finished the half on a 14-4 run, including a pair of Sawyers three-pointers, to head into intermission leading 45-36, while holding the Bisons scoreless in the final 3:14 of the half.
 
Out of the break the Owls took its largest lead of the contest at 50-38 with 17:56 on the clock, but a 10-0 Bison run over the next 5:35 cut the KSU lead to two at 50-48 before a layup from freshman forward Aareon Smith ended the run.
 
Trailing by eight at 68-60 with just under five minutes remaining, the Bisons closed the gap with an 11-3 run to knot the game at 71-71 with two minutes left.
 
Following a second tie at 73-73, the Owls scored the next five points on a Sawyers trey and a pair of freebies from Smith to put the game out of reach at 78-73 with less than a minute remaining. Four free-throws from Wells then sent the Owls onto the four-point win.
 
Along Wells and Sawyers double-digit performances, junior guard Bria Young posted her fourth-consecutive double-digit point game with 12 on four three-pointers. The KSU bench outscored its counterpart 17-5 with every Owl that saw action registering at least two points.
 
KSU recorded a program-high 22 assists on 29 made baskets, with Young adding six along with Wells' season-high 11 helpers. The Owls also tied a program-high with 12 three-pointers.
 
The Owls outrebounded their opponent for the seventh time this season, 44-38, with 17 of those boards coming on the offensive end, which turned into 11 second chance points. Freshman forward Chloe Branch equaled her career-high with eight boards, while redshirt-senior forward Lisa Capellan and Young grabbed seven rebounds.
 
Lipscomb had four players in double figures, led by 21 from Sara Bliss and 18 from Danay Fothergill.
 
The Owls continue their two-game road swing, traveling to Highland Heights, Ky., for a 7 p.m. ET game on Saturday, Jan. 11 against Northern Kentucky at The Bank of Kentucky Center.
 
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.
 
 

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