Box Score (PDF)

KENNESAW, Ga. – The Owls were impressive from tipoff Saturday afternoon, as they would beat Lipscomb 88-60 on a night dedicated to breast cancer awareness.

"We were extremely motivated in the locker room before the game today," said Head Coach Agnus Berenato. "We had good practices leading up to this afternoon and were focused during shootaround today. After giving up six threes in the first half, I told the players that we had to tighten up in the third quarter. I think that we came out and responded really, really well."

Decked out in a pink uniform, Gillian Piccolino had a night to remember as she scored a career-high of 25 points, along with six rebounds while making all eight of her free throw attempts.

"Gillian is just a really good player. At the beginning of the season, she was much more of a catch-and-shoot player but today really displayed everything she can do," said Berenato. "I told her that she needs to focus more on playing around the basket and crashing the glass and I think that she did a really good job of that tonight."

Alexis Poole turned in a stellar performance for KSU as she scored 19 points, led the team in rebounds with eight, and made her nine of her free throw attempts. As a team, the Owls knocked down  24-of-25 free throws.
The Owls entered the first media timeout up 8-7 which included two layups from the Piccolino. As the first quarter continued, Breanna Hoover nailed a three-pointer to make the score 13-9 in favor of KSU. The Owls would end the quarter with an Amani Johnson three-point shot, and entered the second frame leading the Bisons 20-17.

Although the Bisons would start the second quarter with a three-pointer to tie the game, Lexi Mann would recapture the Owls' lead with a layup and two made free throws. Mann would end the half with eight points and three rebounds. The KSU defense was stingy all night, but it would not be on better display than in the second quarter when the Owls held Lipscomb scoreless for a 4:22 stretch. The Bisons would fight to even up the score, but the Owls would enter the locker room up 36-29 at halftime.

The Owls began to assert their dominance in the third quarter with a jumper and three-pointer from Hoover that would give KSU a 13-point lead at the media timeout. Piccolino would continue her impressive day by scoring eight points in the third quarter, and the Owls would go into the fourth quarter up 60-42.

KSU would reach its first 20-point lead of the night as Piccolino made a free throw at the 2:13 mark in the fourth quarter.

Piccolino made a three-point shot to extend the Owls' lead to 30 points, and break her previous single-game record of 18 points later in the quarter. She would end the fourth quarter with a jumper, the last basket made by KSU on the night.

Kennesaw State returns to action against Shorter University at the KSU Convocation Center on Tuesday at 11 a.m.