Score: Kennesaw State 50, Liberty 60
Records: Kennesaw State (3-4, 0-4), Liberty (8-3, 4-0)
Key Players: Amani Johnson (9 pts, 5 rebs, 4 assts), Yamani Paul (8 pts, 8 rebs), Stacie Jones (8 pts, 8 rebs), Jah'Che Whitfield (9 pts, 4 reb, 3 assts)
THE STORYLINE
After Saturday's loss, the Owls came out with heart and desire in their second game against Liberty. After leading for most of the first half, the Owls kept the game close through the third quarter. KSU would hit a cold spell in the final quarter and the Flames would close out the series with a 60-50 win against the Owls.
COACH KHADIJA HEAD QUOTES
On the team's play…
"I'm proud of my team. Liberty is a man-to-man team; they're about 95% man and 5% zone and for our kids to come out and execute offensively in our man-to-man with quick turnarounds and adjustments and force them to go to a zone, it really speak to, you know, our players' willingness and commitment to executing offensively. [Liberty] are a great defensive team. The message between, you know, the game Saturday and the game Sunday was when you face a good defensive team, and when I say good defensive team, a great scout team, they were ready for what happens next. Our kids made a good adjustment on: 'what are they giving us now? As they prep for what's next, what do we see now?"
On the fight of the team…
"Yesterday, it was a tough start to the game but we weathered the storm and then today, like right from the jump ball, we could have easily folded. They got an easy, quick two points, you know, within the first three seconds of the game and for our kids to just have calm composure and really take it to a top opponent in our conference. Liberty is undefeated and for us to just come out and defend the nest and execute within the nest in the first and the second quarter is tremendous today."
HOW IT HAPPENED
After starting out the first game of the series down 15-0 to Liberty, the Owls began game two with grit and determination. Gabi Legister got the Owls started by doing what she does best, grabbing an offensive rebound and putting it up for a layup.
KSU found itself up six with 2:40 to go in the first quarter when Julia Rodriguez hit a shot on the fast break, drawing a foul in the process. The successful and-one free throw put the Owls up 12-6.
Stacie Jones would hit her first points of the game in the last minute of the first, putting an offensive rebound back in the net to end the quarter 14-11 in favor of the Owls.
Liberty drove through and scored a layup early in the second quarter, showing the Flames weren't going down without a fight; however, the Owls would capitalize on a missed shot from the Lynchburg, Va. team and Gillian Piccolino would shoot the first 3-pointer of the game to establish a four-point lead for the Owls.
Liberty equalized the game at 21-21 with 2:32 to go in the half, prompting a timeout by Interim Head Coach Khadija Head. Kennesaw State regrouped well, scoring five points to close out the half through a jumper by Yamani Paul and a 3-pointer from Amani Johnson.
The Flames, who shot an immense 12-of-26 from beyond the arc Saturday afternoon, were held to a meager 1-of-11 in the first half on Sunday.
The second half began and Liberty was beginning to bear down on defense, holding the Owls to 1-of-9 from the field to start the third quarter.
After Jones hit a jumper from outside the paint with 8:06 to go in the third, the Owls would go scoreless for more than two minutes until Rodriguez hit a free throw to tie the game 29-29.
The two teams battled back and forth for the remainder of the period, with Liberty leading 40-37 going into the fourth quarter.
Jah'Che Whitfield, who had another solid performance for the Owls, started the fourth with a layup to pull the Owls within one; however, Liberty began to look more and more like the team who beat Kennesaw State on Saturday.
The Flames would 13-2 over the next seven minutes with Legister ending the run to make the score 54-44 Liberty.
Both teams would score six points through the remainder of the game, with the Flames closing out the game at 60-50.
NOTES
- KSU led the game for a total of 19 minutes and 46 seconds.
- Amani Johnson led the team in assists again with four.
- Yamani Paul captured a career-high eight boards.
- The Owls outscored the Flames in second-chance points 12-9
UP NEXT
The Owls are currently scheduled to return to North Alabama's Flowers Hall this coming weekend, with games set to be played on Saturday, Jan. 16 at 3 p.m. EST and Sunday, Jan. 17 at 3 p.m. EST; however, the schedule is subject to change with KSU already playing the Lions last weekend.
To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State women's basketball news follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and @KSUOwlsWBB or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook.
