LIPSCOMB AT KENNESAW STATE Feb. 25 | 2 p.m. | KSU Convocation Center Watch | Live Stats | KSU Game Notes Twitter: @KSUOwlsWBB

GAMEDAY STORYLINES
• Kennesaw State (8-19, 7-6) hosts Lipscomb (6-22, 3-10) Saturday (Feb. 25) at the KSU Convocation Center as both teams close out the regular season. Tip-off is 2 p.m. (ET).
• The game will also mark Senior Day as the Owls will recognize seniors Deandrea Sawyers and Aareon Smith during a pre-game ceremony.
• KSU is coming off a 74-62 loss to Jacksonville on Monday (Feb. 20).
• The Owls clinched the No. 4 seed and an ASUN Tournament home game. The conference tournament opens March 3.
• Tickets to the ASUN Conference Tournament are currently available for purchase and priced at $10 for adults and $5 for youth (3-17) and ASUN students. They can be purchased at KSUOwls.com and by calling the ticket office at (470) 578-6957.
• A win over Lipscomb will guarantee the Owls their first winning ASUN Conference season since 2008-09 when they finished 11-9.
• Senior Deandrea Sawyers leads KSU with 14 double-digit scoring games and ranks No. 2 on the program's all-time Division I scoring list with 1,333. She is 41 points shy of tying Kristina Wells (1,374) for first place.
• Carlotta Gianolla is coming off a record-breaking performance versus Jacksonville on Monday when she scored a KSU Division I era freshman-record 29 points. Her 13 made field goals also set a D-I program mark.
• 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), Pitt (2003-13) and Kennesaw State. Heading into Saturday's game, Berenato has posted a 452-432 (.511) record and guided her teams to 11 postseason appearances (5 NCAA, 6 WNIT).
 
SPOTLIGHTING THE SENIORS
Seniors Deandrea Sawyers and Aareon Smith are concluding distinguished careers that have them ranked in Kennesaw State's Division I era top 10 in several categories. Sawyers enters Saturday's game ranked second in program history with 1,333 points and is among the top 10 in scoring average, rebounds, rebounding average, assists, blocked shots, steals, games played and games started. Smith ranks third in the Division I era with 830 career points, and is among the Top 10 in career scoring average, rebounds, rebounding average and steals. She also is tied for first with 117 games played.
 
GUEST COACH
Longtime benefactor David Miller will serve as a guest coach and have a seat on the bench when the Owls host Lipscomb on Saturday.
 
JACKSONVILLE RECAP
Freshman Carlotta Gianolla scored a career-high 29 points and added eight rebounds to lead Kennesaw State during a 74-62 loss to Jacksonville on Monday (Feb. 20). Despite the career performance by Gianolla, and 15 points and a career-high six assists from senior Deandrea Sawyers, the Owls were victimized by a big third quarter from the Dolphins. After trailing 35-29 at halftime, Jacksonville opened the third quarter with an 8-0 run and went on to outscore Kennesaw State 24-9 in the period to take a 53-44 lead into the fourth quarter. The loss overshadowed Gianolla's big offensive effort as she hit a KSU Division I era 13 field goals, while setting the program's Division I single-game points record.
 
SCOUTING LIPSCOMB
The Bisons enter Saturday's game with a 6-22 overall record and 3-10 mark in ASUN Conference play. Lipscomb, which is coming off a 66-62 victory over North Florida on Monday, is averaging 58.3 points a game. Senior forward Alex Banks is contributing 11.8 points and 6.1 rebounds a contest to pace the Bisons.
 
SERIES VERSUS LIPSCOMB
Saturday's game between Kennesaw State and Lipscomb will mark the 23rd meeting between the two programs, with the Owls holding a 16-6 series lead. KSU, which has won four straight in the series, posted a 70-55 victory at Lipscomb earlier this season.
 
UP NEXT
Following Saturday's game, the Owls will host an ASUN Conference Tournament quarterfinal round game on Friday (March. 3). KSU will either host North Florida, NJIT or Lipscomb. The opponent will be determined following the conclusion of Saturday's games.
 
WINNING FORMULA
In their eight wins this season, the Owls are averaging 69.4 points a game, outscoring their opponents by 9.1 points a contest, and shooting 40.2 percent from the field. KSU has also been dominant on the boards, averaging 41.1 rebounds a game, and outrebounding their opponents by 10.8 rebounds a contest. Deandrea Sawyers has led the way, averaging 17.3 points a contest, while freshman Carlotta Gianolla is averaging 13.6 points and 8.0 rebounds, and Kelly Dulkoski is contributing 10.7 points a game.
 
SAWYERS, GIANOLLA LEAD WAY
Senior Deandrea Sawyers and freshman Carlotta Gianolla have led the way for the Owls over their last 10 games. Sawyers is contributing 15.4 points and 6.5 rebounds a contest, while Gianolla is scoring 15.3 points and collecting 6.8 boards a contest, while reaching double digits in nine of 10 games. Sawyers, meanwhile, has seven double-digit scoring games, including a career-high 29 points at USC Upstate on Jan. 28.
 
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.
 
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)

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. Defending tournament champion Jacksonville, 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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