Score: Kennesaw State 61, Mercer 72
Records: Kennesaw State (3-6), Mercer (5-3)
Key Players: Kelly Dulkoski (20 points); Deandrea Sawyers (23 points, 7 rebounds); Team 3-Point Shooting (8-for-23)
 
Box Score (XML) | Box Score (PDF) | Postgame Press Conference | Highlights

KENNESAW, Ga. – Guards Kelly Dulkoski and Deandrea Sawyers combined for 43 points, but the Kennesaw State Owls dropped a hard-fought battle-tested affair against in-state rival Mercer, 72-61, on Saturday (Dec. 5) afternoon at the KSU Convocation Center.

Dulkoski racked up a new career-high 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting from beyond the arc, while Sawyers added 23 points –four shy of a new career high—and pulled down a game-high seven rebounds. The two combined for 70 percent of KSU's points on the day on 15-of-26 (26 percent) shooting from the floor.

For the Bears (5-3), Kahlia Lewis led the attack offensively with a game-high 29 points, while Sydni Means and Linnea Rosendal added 15 and 12, respectively.
Coming off the bench, Sawyers lead the attack offensively in the first quarter. After falling behind by eight, head coach Nitra Perry turned to Sawyers and tallied eight of her 23 points to help Kennesaw State pull within 16-12 after the first 10 minutes of action.

With momentum on its side, KSU turned to Dulkoski in the second, who went a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor, including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc to pull within 31-30 at halftime. Dulkoski totaled 11 of the Owls' 15 points in the quarter.

However, Mercer's Lawrence 29 points were too much and helped the Bears outscore the Owls 41-31 in the second half to pull away for the win.

Down 10 early in the fourth, the Owls fought back to get it within three at 58-55 with 4:09 remaining in the game. But, a 6-0 burst from Mercer put the Bears up 64-55 with 1:16 left to put the game out of reach.

Up Next
Kennesaw State will be back in action at the KSU Convocation Center on Dec. 12, playing host to Austin Peay in a non-conference tilt. The game is slated to begin at 2 p.m. on ESPN3.
 
Coach Perry Quote
"I thought it was a great effort today. There was a lot of fight in our players and we showed some toughness today. I thought we grew and saw some maturity and there was a lot of positives today. Overall, we have a lot more depth than previous years and it was good to see some players step up off the bench. Deandrea (Sawyers) had 30 points tonight, and she played great as well as Kelly (Dulkoski) did, too. The last part of the game we played all guards because of the way Mercer was playing. Tonight, it was the best lineup and I just feel like it's all about trying to get that win on that particular day.  
 - Kennesaw State Head Coach Nitra Perry

Notes
- The meeting between Mercer and Kennesaw State marked the 11^th meeting all-time since 2005-06.
- With the win for Mercer, the Bears now own an 11-10 all-time series lead over the Owls.
- Kelly Dulkoski's 20 points marked a new career high for the redshirt sophomore.
- Deandrea Sawyers came off the bench for the first time this season, scoring 23 points – which fell four points shy of a new career high.
- The Owls' bench outscored the Bears' bench by a 30-6 total.
- Kennesaw State lead 11-4 in second chance points versus the Bears in the game.
- Between Dulkoski and Sawyers, the two combined for 43 of KSU's 61 points.
 
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