Box Score (PDF)

KENNESAW, Ga. – Down eight points with 18.9 seconds in regulation, the Kennesaw State women's basketball team (8-17) edged out North Alabama (17-5) 74-72 in overtime after a buzzer-beater from Kamiyah Street sent the game into extra time.

The sophomore drained a 3-pointer with 11.8 seconds left in regulation to extend the game.

Following two made free throws from UNA with less than a minute to play in the fourth, Amani Johnson dribbled down and made a trifecta of her own. The Lions followed by going 1-for-2 during the ensuing trip to the free throw line to give the Owls a shot trailing 64-61.

Dribbling down the court with just over five seconds remaining, Street pulled up from the logo on the court and banked in a 3-pointer to send the game to overtime.

The battle continued in overtime when each team traded buckets in the early parts of the extra period. Lexi Mann netted a critical bucket to give the Owls a three-point advantage. The Lions clawed within two points, but Johnson drained two critical free throws that proved to be too much for North Alabama.

The Owls tremendous defensive effort in the first half put them in prime position to make a late-second comeback. In a fast-paced first quarter, Kennesaw State had early struggles scoring the basketball, as the Owls netted just one field goal in the first six minutes of the game. With under three minutes left in the opening frame, Street scored her second basket of the night, followed by a Johnson 3-pointer to shrink the North Alabama lead to 9-7. The first quarter ended with the Lions on top 13-7.

Alexis Poole showed off her athleticism just two minutes into the second quarter as the Owls' forward picked a Lions' pocket and scored on the other end of the floor to make it 18-11, UNA. Kennesaw State snipped the North Alabama lead to just five points with five minutes to go in the half after Carlotta Gianolla made a move on the right block and scored.
After driving the lane, Street scored and pulled the Owls within four with two minutes to play. Street was not done there; a minute later she stole the ball at half court and scored to cut the deficit to just two points. The score stood at the half, 25-23, with Street leading all scorers with 10 points.

Poole tied up the game on the Owls' first possession of the first half with an up-and-under move on the block. After North Alabama took a 6-point lead, Street netted a double-clutch layup with just over five minutes to go to cut the lead to 31-27. The Lions pushed the lead to 40-34 heading into the final frame.

In the fourth, Gianolla converted an impressive 3-point play by getting fouled and making the free throw with 8:55 left in the game to make it 40-37, UNA. Down 50-43, Breanna Hoover knocked down an elbow 3-pointer to trim the Lion lead to four points, 50-46. The trifecta helped set up the game for the late-second fireworks.



Quotable (Head Coach Agnus Berenato)

On the last second shot…
We told Kamiyah that she was going to come off a triple screen and she did. Kamiyah knew that she wanted to score at the end of the game because she is a winner. She is a winner on-and-off the court and I am really proud of her.

On the momentum this win gives pushing for the conference tournament...
I think that it was huge for our confidence. UNA beat us 80-55 at their place and the fact that our team responded from that win is big for the program. We play a lot of young players and the freshmen and sophomores we are players are learning to win.
 
Noteworthy

• Kamiyah Street netted her seventh game with 20-plus points
• UNA finished with 25 points in the first half for just the third time in 2018-19
• The back-to-back ASUN wins are the first since the 2016-17 season
• The Owls shot 47 percent from the floor, their second-highest total in ASUN play
• KSU went 9-12 from the free-throw line
• Kennesaw State forced 22 turnovers

Up Next
The Owls travel to Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday (Feb. 23). Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m.