MOREHEAD STATE AT KENNESAW STATE Dec. 17 | 12 P.M. | KSU Convocation Center Watch | Live Stats | KSU Game Notes Twitter: @KSUOwlsWBB

GAMEDAY STORYLINES
• The Owls (1-7) and Eagles (8-3) meet Saturday (Dec. 17) at the KSU Convocation Center. Tip-off is 12 p.m. (ET).
• Saturday's contest marks the final home game of the 2016 calendar year for Kennesaw State. The Owls' next game at the KSU Convocation Center is Jan. 2 against Wofford.
• Wednesday's (Dec. 14) game at Austin Peay marked the 1,000th in KSU women's basketball history.
• 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 overall season as a head coach that includes tenures at Rider (1981-85), Georgia Tech (1988-2003), Pitt (2003-13) and Kennesaw State. Heading into Saturday's game, Berenato has posted a 445-420 (.514) record and guided her teams to 11 postseason appearances (5 NCAA, 6 WNIT).
• Freshman Carlotta Gianolla will make her official home debut on Saturday. After suffering an injury in the season opener at Vanderbilt (Nov. 11), Gianolla missed six game before returning to action Wednesday (Dec. 14) at Austin Peay.
• Saturday's contest against Morehead State marks the second consecutive against an Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) opponent. KSU played at Austin Peay on Wednesday (Dec. 14) and fell 68-49 to the Governors.
• Fallon Stokes, a former player under Agnus Berenato at Georgia Tech from 2001-04, will serve as a guest coach on Saturday (Dec. 17).

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.
 
AUSTIN PEAY RECAP
Senior Deandrea Sawyers scored a team-high 15 points, and freshman Carlotta Gianolla and sophomore Iceis Walker contributed 10 points apiece to lead Kennesaw State during a 68-49 loss to Austin Peay on Wednesday (Dec. 14). The Owls were able to keep the game close until the Governors (6-5) went on a 13-2 run to open the fourth quarter and build a 56-40 lead with 5:46 remaining. The game, the 1,000th in Kennesaw State program history, marked the return of Gianolla who was back in action after suffering an injury in the November 11 season opener at Vanderbilt that forced her to miss six games. Austin Peay capitalized on a strong inside game as it outscored Kennesaw State, 48-26, in the paint, and finished with a 46-30 rebounding advantage.
 
SCOUTING MOREHEAD STATE
The Eagles are currently 8-3 on the season and winners of three straight, including an 84-65 victory at North Florida on Dec. 13. Morehead State is averaging 70 points a contest and has five players averaging in double figures. Sophomore guard Darianne Seward tops the club with 16.0 points a contest, while junior forward Eriel McKee is nearly averaging a double-double with 11.0 points and 9.2 rebounds a game.
 
SERIES VERSUS MOREHEAD STATE
Saturday's game between Kennesaw State and Morehead State will mark the third all-time meeting between the two programs with the Eagles leading the series, 2-0. The two teams last met a year ago and Morehead State posted an 83-77 victory at the KSU Convocation Center.
 
UP NEXT
Following Saturday's game, Kennesaw State travels to Las Vegas, Nev. for the Puerto Rico Classic. The Owls will open tournament action against Arkansas State on Monday (Dec. 19) before facing Portland State (Dec. 20) and Xavier (Dec. 21). 
 
THE GRADUATE
Redshirt junior Chloe Branch participated in commencement exercises on Tuesday (Dec. 13). The Owls' forward earned a bachelor's degree in political science and will be continuing her education as she pursues a master's degree in public administration.
 
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Heading into this week's play, Kennesaw State's strength of schedule was ranked No. 39 nationally by HERO College Sports News. The Owls' schedule includes four teams - Mercer (No. 13), Stetson (No. 17), Florida Gulf Coast (No. 19) and Jacksonville (No. 22) - that are currently ranked in the Collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll. Currently 14 teams on KSU's schedule possess a winning record.
 
SETTING SEASON HIGHS
In their 72-60 win over Savannah State on Nov. 26, the Owls set season highs for points (72), field goals made (27) and blocked shots (6).
 
ESTABLISHING CAREER HIGHS
In the 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)
 
TWO OWLS AVERAGING DOUBLE FIGURES
Kennesaw State has two players scoring in double figures. Junior guard Clara Young leads the Owls with 11.0 points per game, while sophomore forward Allison Johnson ranks second with 10.4 points a contest.
 
CLARA YOUNG
Clara Young, who has reached double figures in points in five of eight games this season, is tied for ninth in the ASUN in scoring with 11.0 points per game, third in assists (3.8) and sixth in steals (1.8).
 
ALLISON JOHNSON IN THE ASUN
Sophomore forward Allison Johnson ranks fifth in the ASUN in rebounding (6.9).
 
ICEIS WALKER
Sophomore guard Iceis Walker, who is averaging 6.7 points a contest, is shooting 80.0 percent (20-for-25) from the free throw line, a mark that ranks sixth in the ASUN Conference.
 
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.   
 
 

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