KENNESAW, Ga. – The Owls put together an impressive third quarter against North Florida on Monday, but could not hold on to win, as Kennesaw State fell 64-55 to fall to 6-7.
 
The Owls outscored the Ospreys 19-9 in the third frame, including a 14-0 run from five different scorers.
 
"It hurts us to not have Alexis Poole in the game, but I thought that Simina (Avram) and Lexi Mann did a great job for us tonight," said Head Coach Agnus Berenato. "In the fourth quarter, when UNF's coach called a timeout, UNF did a good job of getting us on our heels. We were not playing the inside-out game that was so successful for us in the third quarter."
 
It was a sluggish start for the Owls inside the Convocation Center, as Kennesaw State fell behind 9-2 four minutes into the contest, which forced a KSU timeout. The Owls responded quickly, and pulled within a point with 3:15 (12-11) after a 3-pointer from Gillian Piccolino. The Ospreys knocked down a bucket and a free throw and pushed the lead to 17-13 at the end of the first quarter.
 
The Ospreys began the second quarter on an 8-2 run that forced a KSU timeout after taking a 25-15 lead. Amani Johnson forced a UNF timeout after taking the ball coast-to-coast for a bucket that cut the lead to 28-19 with 1:50 to go in the first half. Breanna Hoover knocked down a 3-pointer with just under a minute remaining in the half that shrank the lead to 31-24 and gave the Owls momentum going into the break. Carlotta Gianolla sank a 15-foot jump shot with 20 seconds to go and Kennesaw State went into the half down 31-26.
 
Piccolino opened the half with an impressive floater that cut the Osprey lead to just three before Gianolla shrank the advantage to just one with a layup.
 
Johnson forced an Osprey timeout with a pull-up 14-foot jump shot that gave the Owls their first lead of the game. A 3-pointer at the 6:02 mark in the third quarter from Hoover capped an 14-0, from five different scorers, that forced an Osprey timeout.
 
Another momentum swing took effect after an Alexis Poole and-one ended a 6-0 UNF run and put the Owls out front 45-39 with 1:43 to play in the third period.  Kennesaw State held a 45-40 lead entering the final frame.
 
North Florida began the fourth quarter on a 6-0 that forced a Kennesaw State timeout with 8:11 to play. The Ospreys knocked down four free throws that pushed it to a 10-0 run. Gianolla ended the run with a layup with seven minutes to play.
 
North Florida pushed its lead to double-digits (59-49) with under two minutes to play. Johnson knocked down a bucket with just under two minutes to go that turned momentum, but the Owls could not complete the comeback and fell
 
Kennesaw State is back on the floor Monday (Jan. 13) at Lipscomb.