By: By Al Barba
GAMEDAY STORYLINES
• Kennesaw State (2-13, 1-0) and Stetson (11-5, 0-1) continue ASUN Conference play Saturday (Jan. 14) at the KSU Convocation Center. Tip-off is 2 p.m. (ET).
• The Owls opened ASUN Conference play with a 70-55 win at Lipscomb on Saturday (Jan. 7) to improve to 5-7 all-time in ASUN Conference openers since joining the league for the 2005-06 season. It was KSU's third straight conference-opening win.
• Kennesaw State is seeking to start 2-0 in ASUN Conference play for the third consecutive year. Last season, the Owls defeated Lipscomb and North Florida to begin conference action.
• The Owls are 2-0 this season when scoring 70 or more appoints. KSU scored 72 points in a 72-60 win over Savannah State and reached the 70-point plateau in a 70-55 victory at Lipscomb.
• For the first time this season, the Owls had two players record double-doubles when
Allison Johnson (22 points, 10 rebounds) and
Carlotta Gianolla (13 points, 12 rebounds) reached double digits in points and rebounds at Lipscomb (Jan. 7).
• The 2016-17 season represents 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 446-426 (.511) record and guided her teams to 11 postseason appearances (5 NCAA, 6 WNIT).
AUTOGRAPH SIGNING
Following Saturday's game, the Owls will sign autographs on the mezzanine level.
LIPSCOMB RECAP
Sophomore
Allison Johnson and freshman
Carlotta Gianolla each recorded double-doubles to lead Kennesaw State to a 70-55 victory over Lipscomb in both team's ASUN Conference opener Jan. 7 in Nashville. Johnson scored a season-high 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Owls, while Gianolla contributed 13 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. Junior
Clara Young also finished in double figures with a season-high tying 17 points, including a clutch three-point basket with under four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Kennesaw State outrebounded Lipscomb 44-31 for the game, collecting 20 offensive rebounds that led to 19 second-chance points. Johnson and Gianolla combined for 22 rebounds and helped the Owls finish with 32 points in the paint.
AGNUS BERENATO ON THE LIPSCOMB WIN
"I was very happy with the way the kids came out and played with intensity. We were really ready for conference play and knew we had to crash the boards. We won a lot of 50-50 balls and got a lot of second-chance shots. "The non-conference part of our season was all about the process and we were preparing the team for what it was going to see in the conference. Once the Temple game ended it became the project and the kids really bought into what we were saying as a staff."
SCOUTING STETSON
The Hatters begin the weekend 11-5 overall and 0-1 in ASUN Conference play after falling 84-71 to Florida Gulf Coast on Jan. 7. Stetson, which has lost three in a row, is averaging 72.0 points a contest, and has three players averaging in double figures. The Hatters are led by senior guard Brianti Saunders who is scoring 16.6 points a contest and ranks second in the ASUN Conference in scoring.
SERIES VERSUS STETSON
Saturday's contest marks 26th all-time meeting between Kennesaw State and Stetson, and the Hatters lead the series, 22-3. Stetson has won 17 in a row dating back to the 2009-10 season. The Owls' last win in the series was a 64-51 victory at Stetson on Feb. 14, 2009.
UP NEXT
Kennesaw State continues ASUN Conference play Monday (Jan. 16) when it hosts Florida Gulf Coast at the KSU Convocation Center beginning at 12 p.m.
MOVIE MATINEE
The Kennesaw State women's basketball team will host a movie-watching pajama party of The Secret Life of Pets that will be shown on the KSU Convocation video board following its game against Florida Gulf Coast on Jan. 16. The game is scheduled for 12 p.m. and fans are encouraged to wear their pajamas and bring along their pillows and blankets as the Owls will join them on the court following the game. The first 250 fans will receive a free KSU pillow case, and concessions will offer a special $5 popcorn and soda package.
CHAMPIONS IN THE CLASSROOM
The Owls excelled in the classroom during the fall semester, posting a program record 3.57 grade-point average. A total of four student-athletes -
Chloe Branch,
Carlotta Gianolla,
Katie Polinsky and
Alexandra Landby - recorded perfect 4.0 GPAs.
THE GRADUATE
Redshirt junior
Chloe Branch participated in commencement exercises on Dec. 13. The Owls' forward earned a bachelor's degree in political science and is pursuing a master's degree in public administration.
GIANOLLA ASUN NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
Freshman
Carlotta Gianolla was recently honored for her impressive performance during the Puerto Rico Classic by being named the ASUN Conference Women's Basketball Newcomer of the Week (Dec. 26). The Owls' rookie averaged 12.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and connected on 43.2 percent of her field goal attempts, while averaging 28.3 minutes a contest. She was KSU's leading scorer in two of three games, reached double figures in each contest, and posted her first career double-double. Gianolla opened the tournament with 12 points and five rebounds versus Arkansas State before scoring a career-high 14 points and grabbing nine rebounds versus Portland State. The Marcon, Italy native capped the week by contributing 10 points and collecting a career-high 10 rebounds versus Xavier.
OWLS IN ASUN RANKINGS
Several Kennesaw State players rank among the ASUN Conference statistical leaders. The following is a list:
REBOUNDING
Allison Johnson (No. 4; 7.4 rpg.)
ASSISTS
Clara Young (No. 4; 3.3)
FREE THROW PERCENTAGE
Iceis Walker (T5; 80.0 pct. - 28-for-35)
BLOCKED SHOTS
Allison Johnson (No. 4; 0.9)
MINUTES PLAYED
Clara Young (No. 3; 34.8 mpg.)
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.
-GoKSUOwls-
