Tip:  2 p.m. (ET)
ESPN3 | Live Stats
BROADCASTERS:
P-By-P: Nathan McCreary
Color: Cindy Gilliam
Sideline: Autumn Johnson
Florida Gulf Coast Series Info: Florida Gulf Coast leads, 20-2
Last Meeting: 2017, Florida Gulf Coast, 69-35
Kennesaw State Game Notes

GAMEDAY STORYLINES
• Kennesaw State (4-10, 0-3) returns home this weekend to host ASUN Conference-leading Florida Gulf Coast (17-3, 3-0) Saturday (Feb. 20) at the KSU Convocation Center. Tip-off is 2 p.m. and the game will be available on ESPN3.
• Saturday marks Youth Day and Kennesaw Business Association Day.  
• The Owls will be in search of their first conference victory after opening ASUN action with setbacks to Lipscomb (64-62), North Florida (77-72) and Jacksonville (84-49). KSU will try to avoid its first 0-4 conference start since the 2012-13 season.
• Florida Gulf Coast enters the weekend ranked No. 1 in the Collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Poll and is among teams receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
• Balanced scoring has highlighted the Owls' last seven games as four players are averaging 9.0 points or better. Freshman Kamiyah Street (18.9) leads KSU, followed by Carlotta Gianolla (13.0), Alexis Poole (12.4) and Clara Young (9.0). Poole is nearly averaging a double-double as she is also contributing 9.6 rebounds a game.
• Kamiyah Street became the first Owls' player to receive ASUN weekly honors this season when she was selected Freshman of the Week on Dec. 5. She followed that recognition by being named ASUN Player and Freshman of the Week on Dec. 19, and has garnered the accolade the last two weeks. Street has earned Freshman of the Week four times this season.
• The 2017-18 season marks Kennesaw State's 13th at the NCAA Division I level and the Owls are 137-231 (.372) since the 2005-06 season.   
• Head coach Agnus Berenato, who is in her 31st season as a Division I head coach, is in her second year leading the Owls. She has an all-time career record of 458-443 (.508).
 
CATE ZAVITZ TURNS 10!
Cate Zavitz, who joined the Kennesaw State women's basketball team as an honorary sister last year, will have a seat on the Owls' bench on Saturday and be recognized during the game as she celebrates her 10th birthday. Zavitz has been diagnosed with Autosomal Recessive Congenital Ichthyosis (ARCI) – a form of skin disease in which her skin grows too fast where she has excess skin on her body, causing her body to overheat easily which decreases her ability to sweat and control her body temperature.
 
GUEST COACH
Shelley Elder will be Saturday's honorary guest coach and have a seat on the Owls' bench. Elder, a local philanthropist who has become a great friend to the Kennesaw State women's basketball program, is owner of Elder Law Firm, PLLC. She has been nominated for Kennesaw Business Association Business of the Year, and was honored with the 2017 Cobb County Service Award.
 
SCOUTING FLORIDA GULF COAST
The Eagles begin the weekend with a 17-3 record, including a 3-0 ASUN Conference mark, have won seven in a row, and are ranked No. 1 in the Collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Poll. FGCU is averaging 78.8 points a contest and outscoring its opponents by an average of 17.3 points a game. The Eagles have four players scoring in double figures and are led by Rosemarie Julien, who is averaging 12.8 points a game.
 
SERIES VERSUS FLORIDA GULF COAST
The Eagles lead the all-time series, 20-2, and have won 14 in row. Kennesaw State's last win was a 63-52 victory in 2011.
 
JACKSONVILLE RECAP 
Freshmen Kamiyah Street and Alexis Poole led Kennesaw State with 15 points each during an 84-49 loss to host Jacksonville on Monday. The Dolphins had four players score in double figures, while sophomore Carlotta Gianolla scored 10 points to finish in double figures for KSU.
 
YOUTH SERVED
With five freshmen on its roster, Kennesaw State began 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 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) has the highest percentage of freshmen on its roster.  
 
STREET HONORS
Freshman guard Kamiyah Street's impressive play this season has been rewarded as she has earned ASUN Conference Freshman of the Week honors four times (Dec. 5, Dec. 19, Jan. 9 and Jan. 16), and was selected Player of the Week on Dec. 19. 
 
STREET SOARING
Guard Kamiyah Street has been the ASUN Conference's top freshman this season as she currently leads the Owls in scoring, averaging 16.4 points a game. She has led KSU in scoring eight times, reached double digits in 12 of 14 contests and scored 20 or more points five times. The Owls' rookie leads all ASUN freshmen in scoring, ranking third, and is first in steals (2.9 per game). She is averaging 19.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 4.7 steals a contest during ASUN Conference play. She tops the conference in steals and is fourth in assists.
 
GIANOLLA SHINES
Sophomore Carlotta Gianolla has returned to form following an injury. She has started 10 straight games and is second on the team with 9.9 points a game. She has reached double digits in eight of her 10 starts while averaging 12.2 points and 5.3 rebounds a game.  She tallied a season-high 19 points and nine rebounds in the Owls' win over Presbyterian. The KSU sophomore has scored at least 10 points in seven of her last eight games. 
 
YOUNG CLIMBING CAREER CHARTS
Clara Young has made the most of her opportunities during her three seasons as an Owl. She is currently third in Kennesaw State Division I history in assists (219), ninth in steals (83) and seventh in games started (65). Earlier this season, she scored 18 points versus Georgia State to establish a single-game career high.
 
POOLE PROGRESSING
Freshman forward Alexis Poole is making an impact on the Owls this season. The first-year player is averaging 9.6 points and 8.2 rebounds a game. She is third in the conference in rebounding and her 18 boards against Middle Georgia State rank as the third-most in KSU Division I history. Poole is averaging 16.0 points and 9.0 rebounds in ASUN Conference play.
 
A WINNING FORMULA
In their four wins, the Owls are averaging 68.0 points a game, shooting 41.7 percent from the field, and out-rebounding their opponent by an average of 10.5 boards a game. Freshman Kamiyah Street has sparked KSU, averaging 20.8 points, 3.0 steals and 2.5 assists, while sophomore Carlotta Gianolla has contributed 14.0 points and 6.5 boards a contest.
 
PRESEASON HONORS
Sophomore Carlotta Gianolla was a unanimous selection to the 2017-18 ASUN Preseason All-Conference team. Gianolla is 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, which finished 10-20 and in fourth place in ASUN Conference a year ago, was picked fourth in the ASUN Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. Defending tournament champion Florida Gulf Coast, garnered the top spot after receiving 62 points and six first-place votes. Jacksonville was second, after collecting two first-place votes and 53 points. Kennesaw State received 39 points.
 
UP NEXT
Following Saturday's game vs. Florida Gulf Coast, the Owls will host Stetson Monday (Jan. 22) at 7 p.m. The game will mark International Night.
 
WELCOME TO THE NEST
Agnus Berenato and her staff signed two highly talented recruits during the early signing period. Guards Amani Johnson (North Versailles, Pa. / East Allegheny HS) and Peyton Lewis (Hampton, Ga. / Locust Grove HS) will join the Owls' roster next fall.
 
Single-game tickets to all home games are priced at $5 and can be purchased online at www.ksuows.com/tickets or by calling the ticket office at (470) 578-4849.

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 -

 

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