By: By Al Barba
GAME DAY INFORMATION
Date: Nov. 7
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: KSU Convocation Center
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GAME DAY INFORMATION
• Kennesaw State (0-0) opens its 37th season when it welcomes Middle Georgia State (2-1) to the KSU Convocation Center on Wednesday (Nov. 7). Tip-off is 5:30 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
• Fans can purchase the ESPN+ digital platform for $4.99 a month or $49.99 for a year's subscription that provides access to all events broadcast on the network.
• Middle Georgia State, which competes at the NAIA level is one of five opponents - Georgia Southern (Nov. 28), Mercer (Dec. 1), Georgia State (Dec. 13) and Georgia Tech (Dec. 16) – that the Owls will play from the state of Georgia.
• The 2018-19 season marks Kennesaw State's 14th at the Division I level and KSU has posted a 140-240 (.368) record since the 2005-06 season.
• Head coach
Agnus Berenato, who is entering her 32nd season as Division I head coach, begins her third year leading the Owls. She has an all-time record of 461-452 (.505), and guided Kennesaw State to the ASUN Conference semifinals in 2017.
• The Owls are 20-16 all-time in season openers, including 2-12 since moving to the Division I level prior to the 2005-06 season. KSU's last season-opening victory came during the 2014-15 season when it defeated College of Charleston, 68-61.
• Kennesaw State has produced the last two ASUN Conference Freshmen of the Year in
Carlotta Gianolla (2017) and
Kamiyah Street (2018). Both players were unanimous picks.
• KSU returns three players who earned ASUN Conference postseason honors following the 2017-18 season. Forward
Carlotta Gianolla garnered All-Academic honors, while
Kamiyah Street and
Alexis Poole were named to the All-Freshman team. Street also was a second team all-conference selection.
• The KSU roster includes four newcomers, including freshman guard
Amani Johnson (North Versailles, Pa. East Allegheny HS), who earned Honorable Mention All-American honors following her senior campaign.
EXHIBITION RECAP
• Sophomore
Alexis Poole scored a game-high 24 points and junior
Carlotta Gianolla produced a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Kennesaw State to an 80-61 victory over Thomas University in an exhibition Nov. 1 at the KSU Convocation Center.
• Poole, who also collected seven rebounds, and Gianolla were joined in double figures by sophomore
Kamiyah Street and freshman
Peyton Lewis, who scored 17 and 12 points, respectively.
• Freshman guard
Amani Johnson made her first appearance in an Owls uniform and contributed six points, five rebounds and game-high totals of seven assists and two blocks.
• Street, the reigning ASUN Conference Freshman of the Year, added five rebounds, six assists and seven steals to her 17 points.
OWLS WELCOME NEW FACES
• KSU has added four newcomers to its roster and welcomes the services of redshirt senior
Simina Avram, who sat out last year after transferring from Georgia Tech.
• The Owls have added freshmen guards
Amani Johnson (North Versailles, Pa.),
Kate Head (Brisbane, Australia), and
Peyton Lewis (Hampton, Ga.), along with junior college transfer
Erica Moore (Lizella, Ga.).
JOHNSON HIGHLIGHTS NEWCOMERS
• Freshman guard
Amani Johnson (North Versailles, Pa.) headlines the list of newcomers after a standout prep career at East Allegheny HS.
• Johnson capped her brilliant career by earning 2017-18 WBCA Honorable Mention All-American honors and being tabbed a Pennsylvania Gatorade Girls Basketball Player of the Year finalist.
• A four-sport athlete (basketball, softball, soccer, volleyball), Johnson concluded her basketball career with 2,345 points, 533 assists, 496 rebounds and 353 steals.
• Johnson averaged 26.7 points, 6.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 steals as a senior.
A LOOK AT THE ROSTER
• Kennesaw State enters the 2018-19 season with a roster comprised of three seniors (
Simina Avram,
Janae Omusi,
Iceis Walker), three juniors (
Carlotta Gianolla,
Alexandra Landby,
Erica Moore), four sophomores (
Breanna Hoover,
Lexi Mann,
Alexis Poole,
Kamiyah Street) and three freshmen (
Kate Head,
Amani Johnson,
Peyton Lewis).
THIRD TIME A CHARM
This season marks the third for head coach
Agnus Berenato, and 11 of the 13 players on the roster were recruited by Berenato and her staff. Senior
Iceis Walker and redshirt junior
Alexandra Landby were with the program when Berenato arrived in March of 2016.
FOR STARTERS
• Kennesaw State will start two freshmen, two sophomores and a junior in its starting lineup when it opens its season Wednesday versus Middle Georgia State.
PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE
• Sophomores
Alexis Poole and
Kamiyah Street were named to the ASUN Preseason All-Conference team.
2017-18 POSTSEASON HONORS
• Kennesaw State had four players earn postseason honors following the 2017-18 season.
•
Kamiyah Street was unanimously selected as ASUN Conference Freshman of the Year. She also garnered second team all-conference honors and was named to the all-freshman team along with
Alexis Poole.
•
Carlotta Gianolla and senior
Clara Young were selected to the ASUN's All-Academic team.
2018-19 ASUN PRESEASON POLL
• Following a seventh-place finish a year ago, the Owls were selected to finish fifth in the ASUN Conference following a vote of the league's coaches. Defending champion FGCU was picked to repeat after receiving eight first-place votes and 80 points. Newcomer Liberty earned the other first-place vote and totaled 71 points to finish second.
ASUN ADDS TWO NEW TEAMS
• The nine-team ASUN Conference will have a new look in 2018-19 with the addition of Liberty and North Alabama, and the departure of USC Upstate.
PITT STOP
Head coach
Agnus Berenato, who spent 10 years leading the University of Pittsburgh program, has used her knowledge of the western Pennsylvania area in her recruiting efforts.
• In each of the last two years, Berenato has signed a recruit from the Pittsburgh area as
Breanna Hoover (Beaver Falls, Pa. / Blackhawk HS) and
Amani Johnson (North Versailles, Pa. / East Allegheny HS) have signed on to play for the Owls.
TOURNAMENT TIME
• Kennesaw State will play in three tournaments during its non-conference schedule.
• Following Wednesday's opener versus Middle Georgia State, the Owls will travel to South Orange, N.J. to compete in the Seton Hall Tip-Off tournament. KSU will play host Seton Hall on Saturday (Nov. 10) before facing UMBC (Nov. 11) on Sunday.
• Kennesaw State will travel to the warm climate of Cancun, Mexico, Thanksgiving Weekend to take part in the Cancun Challenge Nov. 22-23. The Owls open with Idaho State before playing Michigan State.
• KSU will wrap up its non-conference schedule at the Georgia State Classic Dec. 20-21 in Atlanta. The Owls' opponents will be Bethune-Cookman and North Carolina Central.
DAZZLING DEBUT
• Guard
Kamiyah Street had a freshman debut for the record books in 2017-18.
• Street led all ASUN freshmen in points (16.3), assists (3.2), steals (2.4) and free throw percentage (69.9). Her 16.3 points per game are a KSU Division I single-season record.
• The Atlanta, Ga. native ranked fourth in the country among freshmen in scoring average, fifth in steals per game and third in minutes per game (37.4).
• Street earned ASUN Freshman of the Week honors six times and garnered conference Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week accolades.
ICEIS WALKER NEARS TOP 10
•Senior guard
Iceis Walker has appeared in 83 games and two games played shy of moving into Kennesaw State's Division I Top 10 list.
UP NEXT
• The Owls are next in action on Saturday when they face host Seton Hall in the Seton Hall Tip-Off beginning at noon.
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 -
