By: Al Barba
Tip: 8:30 p.m. (ET)
Live Stats
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Play-By-Play: Richard Cross
Color: Lindsay Roy
Series Info:First Meeting
Last Meeting: First Meeting
KSU Game Notes |
Ole Miss Game Notes
GAMEDAY STORYLINES
• Kennesaw State (0-1), which is in its 36th year of play, continues its season-opening seven-game road trip when it travels to Oxford, Miss., to take on Ole Miss (1-0) Monday at the Pavilion at Ole Miss. Tip-off is 8:30 p.m. (ET). The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
• Ole Miss represents one of five Power 5 Conference opponents, and lone team from the SEC on the Owls' schedule. KSU opened the year at Clemson (L, 41-28) and plays at Georgia Tech (Nov. 15), before meeting Maryland (Nov. 24), and potentially Miami, in the University of Miami Thanksgiving Classic.
• The 2017-18 season marks Kennesaw State's 13th at the Division I level and the Owls have posted a 133-222 (.375) record since the 2005-06 season.
• Head coach
Agnus Berenato, who is in her 31st season as a Division I head coach, begins her second year leading the Owls. She has an all-time record of 454-434 (.511), including a 10-20 mark in her first season at Kennesaw State.
• The Owls are 0-6 all-time against SEC opponents after visiting Vanderbilt and Georgia during the 2016-17 season.
• Kennesaw State concluded the 2016-17 season with a 10-20 mark and advanced to the semifinals of the ASUN Conference Championship. The Owls posted an 8-4 conference mark and earned the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament, their highest in program history.
• KSU returns one starter - redshirt senior Clara Young - from last year's team. Also returning for the Owls is sophomore forward/center Carlotta Gianolla, who was the ASUN Conference's unanimous Freshman of the Year.
YOUTH SERVED
With five freshmen on its roster, Kennesaw State enters the 2017-18 season as one of the youngest Division I teams in the country. KSU ranks seventh in the nation with 45.4 percent of its roster comprised of freshmen, while 63.6 percent of its players are either freshmen or sophomores, a mark that ranks 13th nationally. UNCG (87.7 percent) has the highest percentage of freshmen and sophomores, while Savannah State (64.3 percent) - an upcoming KSU opponent - has the highest percentage of freshmen on its roster.
PRESEASON HONORS
Sophomore Carlotta Gianolla was a unanimous selection to the 2017-18 ASUN Preseason All-Conference team. Gianolla enters the upcoming season as the reigning ASUN Conference Freshman of the Year after averaging 11.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 24 games during the 2016-17 campaign.
Gianolla, who was also a unanimous pick to the ASUN Conference All-Freshman Team, finished in the top 10 of the conference in points per game (10th), rebounding (6th) and field goal percentage (9th). She led all ASUN Conference freshmen in scoring, produced 17 double-digit scoring games and reached double digits in rebounds six times. She recorded six double-doubles and led the Owls in scoring and rebounding seven times.
OWLS 4TH IN ASUN COACHES POLL
Kennesaw State, coming off a 10-20 season and fourth-place finish a year ago, was picked fourth in the ASUN Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. Defending tournament champion Florida Gulf Coast, was picked first in the poll after receiving 62 points and six first-place votes. Jacksonville was selected second, after collecting two first-place votes and 53 points. Kennesaw State garnered 39 points.
SCOUTING OLE MISS
The Rebels are 1-0 after a 75-44 victory over Northwestern State on Friday. Madinah Muhammad scored 27 points to lead a group of three players in double figures for Ole Miss. The Rebels, who finished the 2016-17 season 17-14 overall and 10th in the SEC, were picked 13th in the preseason conference poll.
SERIES VERSUS OLE MISS
Monday's contest marks the first meeting between Kennesaw State and Ole Miss. The Owls are 0-6 all-time against the SEC. KSU played a pair of SEC teams during the 2016-17 season, falling at Vanderbilt and Georgia.
UP NEXT
Following Monday's game at Ole Miss, Kennesaw State will return to Georgia to prepare to take on Georgia Tech Wednesday in Atlanta. Tip-off is 7 p.m.
CLEMSON RECAP
Freshman Alexis Poole recorded her first career double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 14 rebounds to lead Kennesaw State during a 41-28 loss at Clemson on Friday. The Tigers broke open a close game, using a 13-1 run over the final 8:35 of the contest en route to the victory. Clemson took advantage of four turnovers during the run, and finished the game with nine blocked shots. With four newcomers in the starting lineup and four freshmen seeing action, Kennesaw State struggled from the field, managing just 18 percent shooting on 10-of-55 shooting. The Owls also got into early foul trouble as freshman guard Kamiyah Street picked up her fourth foul a minute into the third quarter and was limited to 27 minutes. Street scored three points in her debut, while freshman Lexi Mann contributed six points and five rebounds in 22 minutes.
2016-17 ASUN WEEKLY HONORS
Player of the Week Deandrea Sawyers (Jan. 30)
Newcomer of the Week Carlotta Gianolla (Dec. 26)
Newcomer of the Week Carlotta Gianolla (Feb. 6)
Newcomer of the Week Carlotta Gianolla (Feb. 27)
WINNING FORMULA
In their 10 wins a year ago, the Owls averaged 71.3 points a game, outscoring their opponents by 10.2 points a contest, and shooting 40.4 percent from the field. KSU was also dominant on the boards as it averaged 42.6 rebounds a game, and outrebounded its opponents by 12.0 rebounds a contest. Senior Deandrea Sawyers led the way, averaging 16.5 points a contest, while freshman Carlotta Gianolla averaged 14.1 points and 8.1 rebounds.
2016-17 REVIEW
• KSU hosted an ASUN Tournament game for first time in program history.
• The Owls posted a 62-60 home victory over NJIT for their first ASUN tourney win since 2011.
• Carlotta Gianolla became just the second KSU individual to earn ASUN Conference Freshman of the Year, joining Taylor Mills (2011-12). She was a unanimous pick.
• Senior Deandrea Sawyers scored 20 points in the Owls' season finale at Stetson to become KSU's Division I all-time leading scorer with 1,380.
• Sawyers was a second team All-ASUN selection, while Gianolla was selected to the All-Freshman Team. Clara Young and Chloe Branch were named to the All-Academic Team.
WELCOME TO THE NEST
Agnus Berenato and her staff signed two highly talented recruits during last week's early signing period. Amani Johnson (North Versailles, Pa. / East Allegheny HS) and Peyton Lewis (Hampton, Ga. / Locust Grove HS) will enroll at Kennesaw State next fall and join the Owls' roster. The focus for Berenato and her staff was strengthening the backcourt as they added a shooting guard (Lewis) and point guard (Johnson).
To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State women's basketball news follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlsWBB and or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook. Follow Coach Berenato on Twitter @KSUCoachB.
-#GoKSUOwls-
