Score:  Kennesaw State 59, Wofford 70
Records: Kennesaw State (5-10), Wofford (5-8)
Key Players: Clara Young (15 points, 4 assists); Deandrea Sawyers (12 points, 5 rebounds); Jasmine McAllister (7 points, 8 rebounds). 

Box Score (XML) | Box Score (PDF)  

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Kennesaw State women's basketball team dropped its final non-conference game of the 2015-16 season,70-59, at the Benjamin Johnson Arena to the Wofford Terriers on Saturday (Jan. 2) afternoon.
 
For the Owls (5-10), balanced scoring led the offensive attack as nine KSU players tallied points in the game. Redshirt sophomore Clara Young led KSU with 15 points and four assists, while junior Deandrea Sawyers chipped in with 12 points and eight rebounds. Freshman colleagues Allison Johnson (six points) and Iceis Walker (four points) led the scoring attack off the bench for Kennesaw State.
 
As a team, the Owls outscored the Terriers (5-8), 28-22, in the paint and shot 22-for-59 (37 percent) from the field. KSU also shot 6-of-22 from beyond the arc and 60 percent (9-of-15) at the free throw line.
 
Down 50-38 entering the final quarter, Kennesaw State used a 14-7 burst to claw within five (57-52) after a 3-pointer from A. Smith at the 5:17 mark. Sawyers played a large role in the run, scoring six of the first nine points to jumpstart the burst for the Owls.
 
Kennesaw State, in fact, outscored Wofford by a slight 21-20 edge in the final 10 minutes, but a 13-point deficit was enough for the Terriers to hold off a late comeback effort from KSU.

The Owls led for more than 75 percent of the first half, forcing 12 Wofford turnovers and tallied six steals, but the Terriers made four 3-pointers –including three in the second— throughout the opening 20 minutes to help take a slight 28-27 lead into halftime.

Kennesaw State outscored Wofford, 16-11, in the first quarter behind a combined 10 points from Kelly Dulkoski and Johnson. The sharp-shooting redshirt sophomore guard from China Grove, North Carolina hit two 3-pointers to jumpstart the offense and Johnson led the bench attack to help take an early lead.

However, the Terrier attack from beyond the arc proved to be the difference maker in the second quarter to help outscore Kennesaw State 17-11. Wofford made 50 percent of its shots from 3-point land and erased an early 18-11 deficit to enter the half up one.

Up Next
Kennesaw State will return to the KSU Convocation Center to take on Lipscomb in its Atlantic Sun Conference opener Saturday, Jan. 9 at 2 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN3 as part of KSU's doubleheader as the men's team will take on the Bisons at approximately 4:30 p.m. to open conference action.
 
Coach Perry Quote
"Not taking care of the ball and missing defensive assignments in the third quarter was the difference maker tonight. Wofford came out in the third quarter and threw a punch at us and we didn't get back up. I thought Deandrea (Sawyers) started our run in the fourth and Clara (Young) played well for us, too. We wanted to get everyone on the same page at the same time and we feel like we can be a good basketball team when that happens. We worked hard on the offensive end and we are a team that needs to go inside and out, and we need to score more in the paint."
 - Kennesaw State Head Coach Nitra Perry 
 
Notes
-  Today's game against Wofford marked the fourth all-time meeting with the series dating back to the 1987-88 season.
- Clara Young totaled a new season high in points, previously 13 points at Florida.
- Nine Owls totaled points in the scoring column, as Clara Young's X points led the way.
- Deandrea Sawyers scored in double-figures for the seventh time this season, and the fifth straight game.
- The contest marked the final non-conference game for the Owls as Atlantic Sun action heats up next week.
 
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.