KENNESAW STATE AT USC UPSTATE Jan. 28 | 4:30 P.M. | G.B. Hodge Center Watch | Live Stats | KSU Game Notes Twitter: @KSUOwlsWBB

GAMEDAY STORYLINES
• Kennesaw State (3-16, 2-3) and USC Upstate (8-12, 1-4) continue ASUN Conference play Saturday (Jan. 28) at the G.B. Hodge Center. Tip-off is 4:30 p.m. (ET).
• The Owls are coming off a big 67-61 victory at North Florida on Monday (Jan. 23). Freshman Carlotta Gianolla recorded a double-double (27 pts., 12 rebs.) and senior Deandrea Wells scored 20 points, marking the first time this season two Owls scored 20 points in a game.
• KSU is seeking back-to-back wins for the first time this season.
• Kennesaw State has four players - Deandrea Sawyers (14.6), Carlotta Gianolla (12.4), Allison Johnson (12.3) and Clara Young (10.4) - scoring in double figures in ASUN Conference play.
• Sawyers leads the team with nine double-digit scoring games.
• Over her last five games, Sawyers is averaging 14.6 points and 5.4 rebounds a contest, while connecting on 42.9 percent of her field goal attempts.
• 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 447-429 (.510) record and guided her teams to 11 postseason appearances (5 NCAA, 6 WNIT).
 
NORTH FLORIDA RECAP
Freshman Carlotta Gianolla scored a career-high 27 points and collected 12 rebounds, and senior Deandrea Sawyers added 20 points to lead Kennesaw State to a 67-61 victory over North Florida on Monday (Jan. 23). Tied 43-43 after three quarters, the Owls outscored the Ospreys 24-18 in the fourth quarter after North Florida opened the period with a 7-0 run. Gianolla scored nine points down the stretch and Kelly Dulkoski hit a big 3-pointer with 2:24 remaining to give Kennesaw State a 59-55 lead. Deja McPhee scored six points, including 4-for-6 from the free throw line, and had a career-high 11 rebounds. The Owls were dominant on the boards as they outrebounded North Florida, 47-27.
 
SCOUTING USC UPSTATE
The Spartans enter the weekend with an 8-12 overall record and a 1-4 mark in ASUN Conference play. USC Upstate has lost four in a row and is coming off a 93-43 loss at Florida Gulf Coast on Monday (Jan. 23). The Spartans are averaging 60.8 points a game and are led by senior guard Raven Jefferson who is averaging 14.3 points a contest.
 
SERIES VERSUS USC UPSTATE
Saturday's game between Kennesaw State and USC Upstate marks 35th all-time meeting between the two programs, and the Owls hold a 21-13 series lead. The Spartans won both meetings a year ago, posting 66-57 and 61-53 victories.
 
UP NEXT
Following Saturday's game, the Owls return to action on Thursday (Feb. 2) when they host NJIT at the KSU Convocation Center. Tip-off is 7 p.m.
 
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.
 
BOARD MEETING
Kennesaw State was dominant on the boards in its win over North Florida on Monday (Jan. 23) as it outrebounded the Ospreys, 47-27. The total tied a season-high, and the +20 margin was the Owls' largest of the season.
 
The game also marked the second time this season that two Owls reached double-digit totals in rebounds. Carlotta Gianolla totaled 12 and Deja McPhee had a career-high 11.
 
OWLS IN ASUN RANKINGS
Several Kennesaw State players rank among the ASUN Conference statistical leaders. The following is a list:
 
REBOUNDING
Allison Johnson (No. 5; 7.3 rpg.)
 
ASSISTS
Clara Young (No. 6; 3.0)
 
BLOCKED SHOTS
Allison Johnson (No. 3; 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.   
 

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