Score: Kennesaw State 56, Gardner-Webb 70
Records: Kennesaw State (4-7), Gardner-Webb (6-2)
Key Players: Clara Young (11 points, 4 assists); Aareon Smith (10 points); Deandrea Sawyers (10 points); Jasmine McAllister (10 points, 9 rebounds)
 
Box Score (XML) | Box Score (PDF)

KENNESAW, Ga. – Balance scoring could not hold off the Runnin' Bulldogs of Gardner-Webb as the Kennesaw State women's basketball team dropped a non-conference tilt Tuesday (Dec. 15) evening at Paul Porter Arena.

The Owls (4-7) had four players score in double-figures, with Clara Young's 11 leading the way. Aareon Smith, Deandrea Sawyers and Jasmine McAllister added 10 points each for Kennesaw State. Overall, KSU shot 36 (21-59) percent from the field and 8-for-24 (33 percent) from beyond the arc in the contest.  The Owls also had 13 assists on 21 field goals to provide the balanced scoring attack.

Identical to Saturday against Austin Peay, Kelly Dulkoski –who finished with nine points—jumpstarted the Owls' offense with hot shooting from beyond the arc. The redshirt sophomore, who entered the game shooting 11-for-26 from deep over her last three games, hit back-to-back 3-pointers that began a dominate 19-2 run over the final 6:51 of the first quarter.
 
Kennesaw State backed up its hot shooting in the opening quarter by holding Gardner-Webb to 30 percent shooting – forcing four turnovers over the 6:51 span to help KSU take a 19-9 lead into the second.
 
However, the Runnin' Bulldogs outscored the Owls in the second quarter by an 18-7 total to take a 27-26 lead into halftime.
 
The Owls trailed by as many as 10 in the third quarter, but a 9-5 run to close out the quarter cut the deficit within six entering the final 10 minutes of regulation.
 
A. Smith, who came off a career-high 23 points against Austin Peay, started the run with a 3-pointer and then baskets from Tayler Smith, Sawyers and Young brought Kennesaw State within reaching distance heading to the final 10 minutes of action.
 
Fighting till the end, 3-pointers from Smith and Dulkoski and back-to-back buckets from McAllister was not enough in the fourth, as GWU kept a double-digit lead intact for the majority of the second half to win its sixth game of the season.
 
Up Next
Kennesaw State will continue its three-game road trip before the Holidays, embarking to Morehead, Kentucky to take on Morehead State at 12 p.m. on Saturday (Dec. 19) afternoon before trekking to Xavier on Monday (Dec. 21).
 
Coach Perry Quote
"It's really trying to play our way into shape with that level of intensity we had in the first half. That's the way we want to play the entire game, but trying to play that way for a full 40 minutes of the game is a maturity thing and it's a challenge. Gardner-Webb is a good basketball team and a strong rebounding team. I thought we did a good job of sharing the ball, but we missed some open looks and those kind of things zonk your energy and we have to keep fighting. For us, it's getting that right combination at the right time and the effort was there. We took away the 3-pointer tonight defensively, but we have to get better with good ball handlers and great post players."
 - Kennesaw State Head Coach Nitra Perry
 
Notes
- The matchup was the fifth consecutive season the two programs face each other. The Owls took a 50-47 final on December 20, 2014.
- Kelly Dulkoski entered the game hitting 11-of-26 3-pointers over her last three games, and hit her first two attempts of the game.
- The Owls showcased balance scoring in the contest, with seven totaling points in the scoring column.
- Four players reached double-figures in the scoring column, combining for 73 percent of the Owls' points.
 
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.