GAME 2: JACKSONVILLE STATE AT KENNESAW STATE Nov. 14 | 4:30 P.M. (ET) | KSU Convocation Center ESPN3 | Live Stats | KSU Notes Twitter: @KSUOwlsWBB

GAMEDAY STORYLINES
• The 2016-17 season marks the 35th year of Kennesaw State women's basketball and 12th at the NCAA Division I level.
• Highly-respected head coach Agnus Berenato begins her first season as the head coach of the Owls' program.
• Berenato is in her 30th season as a head coach that includes tenures at Rider (1981-85), Georgia Tech (1988-2003) and Pitt (2003-13). Heading into today's game, Berenato has posted a 444-414 (.517) record and guided her teams to 11 postseason appearances (5 NCAA, 6 WNIT).
• Today's game against Jacksonville State marks the Owls' regular-season home debut.
• Kennesaw State has an all-time KSU Convocation Center record of 75-72 (.510) dating back to the 2005-06 campaign.
• The Owls have won three of their last four home openers and are 6-5 in home debuts dating back to the 2005-06 season.
• Kennesaw State and Jacksonville State are both seeking their initial win of the season. The Owls fell 86-54 at Vanderbilt on Friday, while the Gamecocks lost 73-62 at Florida State.
• Kennesaw State won its lone exhibition, defeating Coastal Georgia 92-56 on Nov. 6. Senior Aareon Smith scored a game-high 25 points.
 
GAME PROMOTIONS
Monday's game will be $1.00 Hot Dog Night.
 
CASH FOR CANCER
Fifth Third Bank is donating $53 to Stand Up to Cancer for every 3-pointer that the Kennesaw State women's basketball team makes during the season.
 
VANDERBILT RECAP
The Owls officially opened their season on Friday and fell 86-54 at Vanderbilt. Junior Clara Young and sophomore Allison Johnson led Kennesaw State with 15 points apiece. KSU suffered a tough break less than two minutes into the game when freshman forward Carlotta Gianolla suffered an injury and did not return. After trailing 42-20 at halftime, the Owls performed better in the second half as the two teams played to a 44-34 score.
 
SCOUTING JACKSONVILLE STATE
The Gamecocks are currently 0-1 on the season after falling 73-62 at Florida State on Friday. Jacksonville State had a solid game from beyond the 3-point arc, making 14 of 25 (56.0 percent) 3-point field goal attempts. Senior Briana Benson led the Gamecocks with 21 points as she connected on 6 of 9 shots from 3-point range. Jacksonville State concluded the 2015-16 season with a 10-18 overall mark, including a 5-11 mark in the Ohio Valley Conference.
 
SERIES VERSUS JACKSONVILLE STATE
Monday's contest marks the 20th meeting between Kennesaw State and Jacksonville State, and the Gamecocks lead the all-time series, 11-8. The two teams last met during the 2015-16 season and Jacksonville State posted a 61-52 win in Jacksonville, Ala. 
 
UP NEXT
Following Monday's home opener, Kennesaw State will be back in action at the KSU Convocation Center on Wednesday (Nov. 16) when the Owls host Georgia Tech beginning at 7 p.m.
 
HOME COOKING
The Nov. 16 game against Georgia Tech will mark the first of five straight contests against schools from the state of Georgia. The Owls will play at Georgia State (Nov. 22), host Savannah State (Nov. 26) and travel to Georgia (Nov. 29) and Mercer (Dec. 3).
 
COACHING CONNECTIONS
First-year head coach Agnus Berenato will coach against two teams that are led by former assistant coaches. Machelle Joseph, who was an assistant under Berenato at Georgia Tech, is now leading the Yellow Jackets' program, while her former assistant at Pitt, Yolett McPhee-McCuin, is now guiding the Jacksonville program.
 
GUEST COACHES
New head coach Agnus Berenato has started a guest coaches program this season. Mallory Fischer, KSU alumnae and a Department of Athletics donor, served as a guest coach during the Owls' season-opener at Vanderbilt on Friday (Nov. 11). Legendary football coach and former Georgia Tech athletic director Homer Rice and his wife, Karen, will serve as guest coaches when the Owls host Jacksonville State on Nov. 14. Former KSU Interim President Houston Davis will be on the bench when the Owls welcome Georgia Tech to the KSU Convocation Center on Nov. 16.
 
THE COACHING STAFF
Head coach Agnus Berenato has assembled an experienced and well-respected coaching staff. Including Berenato's 29 years as a Division I head coach, the KSU coaching staff has a combined 55 years of experience at the Division I level. The staff is comprised of Khadija Head (8 years), Sherill Baker (4 years) and Lisa Pace (14 years).
 
BEHIND THE ARC
Kennesaw State had significant success from behind the arc during the 2015-16 season, finishing second in the ASUN Conference, shooting 33.0 percent. The Owls had two players finish in the top five as Kelly Dulkoski (38.1) and Aareon Smith (36.8) ranked second and fifth, respectively. KSU opened its 2016-17 season with a solid performance from long range as it shot 44.4 percent (8-for-18) from behind the 3-point line at Vanderbilt (Nov. 11).
 
WELCOME TO THE NEST
Head coach Agnus Berenato announced her first signing class on Thursday as the coaching staff inked four players to National Letters-of-Intent and one individual to a Grant-In-Aid. Brianna Dixon (Duluth, Ga. / Duluth High School), Breanna Hoover (Beaver Falls, Pa. / Blackhawk High School), Lexi Mann (Stone Mountain, Ga. / Greater Atlanta Christian) and Alexis Poole (Ellenwood, Ga. / Stockbridge High School) have signed National Letters-of-Intent and will enroll at Kennesaw State next fall. Caroline Dan (Copenhagen, Denmark / Falkonergaarden Gymnasium) has signed a Grant-In-Aid and will join the program in January.
 
OWLS 6TH IN ASUN COACHES POLL
Kennesaw State, coming off an 11-19 season and fifth-place finish a year ago, was picked sixth in the ASUN Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. Jacksonville, which captured last season's conference tournament, was picked first in the poll after receiving 60 points and five first-place votes. Regular-season champion Florida Gulf Coast was voted second, after collecting two first-place votes and 55 points. Kennesaw State garnered 23 points.
 
To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State women's basketball news follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook. Follow Coach Berenato on Twitter @KSUCoachB.   
   

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