Scores: Kennesaw State 51, Jacksonville State 62
Records: Kennesaw State (1-2), Jacksonville State (1-2)
Key Players: Jasmine McAllister (16 points, 8 rebounds); Deandrea Sawyers (9 points, 6 rebounds); Aareon Smith (8 points, 2 rebounds); Team Assists/FG (12 assists on 21 FG)
 
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KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State women's basketball team lost to Jacksonville State, 61-52, Thursday (Nov. 19) evening at the Pete Mathews Coliseum in a non-conference tilt.  

The Owls (1-2) were led by Jasmine McAllister's 16 points and eight rebounds, while Deandrea Sawyers and Aareon Smith added nine points and eight points, respectively. Senior guard Karly Frye led the Owls in assists (6) for the third-straight game and also added two points in the hard-fought loss.

After playing to a 13-13 tie after the first 10 minutes of back-and-forth action, Kennesaw State's defense held the Gamecocks (1-2) to a 1-of-8 shooting drought over 3:58 and a 9-1 run to close out the half.
 
The Owls trailed 24-18, but buckets by Alexis Jean, McAllister and a 3-pointer from Smith helped give Kennesaw State a 27-25 edge heading into halftime.
 
Seven different Owls scored in the first 20 minutes of play, as McAllister paced the offense with eight points and three rebounds. In all, Kennesaw State dished out seven assists –led by Frye—on 11 field goals to give KSU its second lead at halftime this season.
 
The Gamecocks, however, answered in the third with their own defensive stand, holding the Owls to just eight points in the third quarter. JSU used a 14-2 run to finish the quarter to jump out to a 41-35 lead with 10 minutes remaining.
 
Jacksonville State extended its lead to 10 with just under two minutes remaining, but two 3-poitners from Clara Young cut the lead to as close as five. But, the Gamecocks held on to win their first game of the season.
 
Up Next
Kennesaw State will be right back in action on Saturday (Nov. 21) in Gainesville, Florida in a non-conference tilt against SEC foe Florida. The Owls will then trek to Tallahassee, Florida to take on FAMU on Tuesday (Nov. 24) evening as part of a three-game road trip.

Coach Perry Quote
"Jacksonville State was a very high energy team and right now we are trying to play ourselves into shape. This team is learning that there is a difference in being an underdog and everyone now is not overlooking us. We had a lot of mistakes to begin the game and we need to learn to be ready to go right from the start. We talk a lot about where our maturity level is, and as the season goes on, we will learn how to play a 40 minute game. We talk a lot about energy and have the passion to finish games. It's a game of runs and it comes back to the maturity level."
 - Kennesaw State Head Coach Nitra Perry

Notes
- The Owls fell to 8-11 all-time against Jacksonville State.
- Kennesaw State had seven players score at least two points on the evening.
- KSU totaled 12 assists on 21 field goals
- Jasmine McAllister scored in double-figures for the second straight game.
- Kennesaw State will take on Florida Saturday night in what will be the second-ever meeting between the programs.
 
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.