Box Score (PDF)

ATHENS, Ga.- A valiant effort came up short in the season-opener for the Owls as Kennesaw State dropped an 80-65 contest at Georgia.
 
The Owls were able to cut the lead to eight points with just under three minutes to play, but stalled, and fell by 15.
 
It was a slow start for both squads after four combined points highlighted the first three minutes of the contest. Carlotta Gianolla scored the first bucket with a nifty step-though move a minute into the game. Georgia rattled off the next nine points and after an Amani Johnson layup, the Bulldogs held a 12-5 advantage at the first media timeout. Gianolla led all scorers after the first period with six points, but the Owls found themselves in a 20-11 hole after the first frame.
 
Gianolla continued her hot hand to begin the second quarter with a dribble past a defender in the paint and a made layup. Georgia answered with a 5-0 run and forced KSU to call a timeout at the 7:46 mark in the quarter. The Owls pulled within seven points after Johnson drove the lane and found Street for a corner 3-pointer with 3:11 to play in the half, but the Bulldogs answered with a 12-4 run to end the half to claim a 46-31 advantage at the break.
 
At the half, Gianolla netted 10 points and Johnson led the Owls with a pair of assists.
 
The Owls came out on fire in the second half and opened the half on an 8-3 run that was highlighted by a Gillian Piccolino elbow 3-pointer that forced Georgia to call a timeout at the 6:38 mark. KSU cut it to single digits with 5:40 to go in the third quarter after Alexis Poole put back an offensive rebound to trim the Georgia lead to 49-41. The teams battled back-and-forth with the lead remaining at 10 points or less for Georgia until knocked down a pair of free throws to extend the lead to 55-43 with 2:02 to play in the third.
 
UGA knocked down a 3-pointer at the buzzer to claim a 61-45 lead heading into the final frame.
 
Breanna Hoover knocked down the Owls' first basket of the quarter with 7:32 to go in the game to pull Kennesaw State to 64-47. Thanks to back-to-back 3-pointers from Street with under five minutes to go, KSU was able to slash the UGA lead to 70-60 with 3:50 to play in the contest. Georgia outlasted the Owls in the final three minutes and took the season-opener for both squads.
 
The Owls return to action at home against Samford on Saturday. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. inside the KSU Convocation Center.