KENNESAW STATE AT GEORGIA Nov. 29 | 7 P.M. | Stegeman Coliseum SECN+ | Live Stats | KSU Notes Twitter: @KSUOwlsWBB

GAMEDAY STORYLINES
• The Owls (1-4) and Bulldogs (4-2) are set to meet Tuesday (Nov. 29) at the Stegeman Coliseum. Tip-off is 7 p.m.
• 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 is in her first season leading 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 Tuesday's game, Berenato has posted a 445-417 (.516) record and guided her teams to 11 postseason appearances (5 NCAA, 6 WNIT).
• Kennesaw State is in the midst of playing five consecutive teams from the state of Georgia. The stretch has included games against Georgia Tech (Nov. 16), Georgia State (Nov. 22) and Savannah State (Nov. 26), and concludes this week with road games against Georgia (Nov. 29) and Mercer (Dec. 3).
• Kennesaw State is coming off its first win of the season after defeating Savannah State, 72-60, at the KSU Convocation Center on Saturday (Nov. 26).
• Georgia marks the second SEC opponent on Kennesaw State's 2016-17 schedule. The Owls opened the season at Vanderbilt (L, 86-54) on Nov. 11.
• Kennesaw State is 0-5 all-time against SEC opponents, posting 0-2 marks against both Florida and Georgia.
 
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.
 
SAVANNAH STATE RECAP
Sparked by a stout full-court pressure defense and a double-double by sophomore forward Allison Johnson, Kennesaw State posted its first win of the Agnus Berenato era as it defeated Savannah State, 72-60, Saturday (Nov. 26) at the KSU Convocation Center. Johnson scored 15 points and grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds, while senior guard Deandrea Sawyers contributed a season and game-high 16 points, while adding six rebounds and a career-high five steals. Iceis Walker, who scored a season-high 11 points, contributed four rebounds, three assists and three steals, while Deja McPhee added career-high totals of nine points and nine rebounds.
 
SETTING SEASON HIGHS
In their win over Savannah State on Saturday, the Owls set season highs for points (72), field goals made (27), rebounds (47), steals (12) and blocked shots (6).
 
SCOUTING GEORGIA
The Bulldogs are currently 4-2 after posting a 1-1 record at the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas over the weekend. Georgia opened with a 70-58 win over Minnesota before falling 81-65 to USF. The Bulldogs have three players averaging in double figures and are led by sophomore Caliya Robinson, who is contributing 17.8 points a contest.
 
SERIES VERSUS GEORGIA
The Owls and Bulldogs are meeting for the third time and Georgia leads the all-time series, 2-0. Both meetings have been held in Athens, including last year's 89-34 Bulldogs' victory.
 
UP NEXT
Following Tuesday's contest, Kennesaw State will face Mercer in Macon on Saturday (Nov. 29). Tip-off is 2 p.m.
 
TWO OWLS AVERAGING DOUBLE FIGURES
After five games, Kennesaw State has two players averaging in double figures. Sophomore Allison Johnson tops the team with 14.0 points a contest, while junior guard Clara Young is contributing 12.4 points a contest.
 
SETTING CAREER HIGHS
In Saturday's win over Savannah State, several Owls established single-game career highs. Here is a list:
 
• Allison Johnson (16 rebounds; 3 blocks)
• Deandrea Sawyers (5 steals)
• Deja McPhee (9 points, 9 rebounds)
 
ALLISON JOHNSON IN THE ASUN
Sophomore Allison Johnson is off to a solid start this season as she ranks sixth in the ASUN in scoring (14.0) and third in rebounding (9.2).
 
CLARA YOUNG
Junior guard Clara Young, who reached double figures in points in four of five games this season, ranks 10th in the ASUN in scoring with 12.4 points per game, first in assists (4.4), seventh in free throw percentage (80.0 percent) and fourth in steals (2.0).
 
ICEIS WALKER
Sophomore guard Iceis Walker, who is averaging 8.3 points a contest, ranks fourth in the ASUN Conference with an 88.9 free throw percentage mark. She has made 16 of 18 attempts from the foul line.
 
CHLOE BRANCH SETS CAREER HIGH
Junior Chloe Branch established a career-high with 13 points at Georgia State (Nov. 2). Branch connected on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and 1-for-2 from the foul line while playing 28 minutes.
 
COACHING CONNECTIONS
The 2016-17 schedule features two opponents that are led by former assistants of first-year head coach Agnus Berenato. 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.
 
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).
 
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.   
 
 

Related Videos

Now Playing:

• Play Video