By: Matteen Zibanejadrad
Score: Kennesaw State 70, North Alabama, 75
Records: Kennesaw State (3-2, 0-2), North Alabama (3-8, 2-0)
Key Players: Jah'Che Whitfield (17 pts, 9 rebs), Stacie Jones (11 pts, 12 rebs), Yamani Paul (12 pts, 7 rebs), Amani Johnson (9 pts, 4 rebs, 3 assts)
THE STORYLINE
The Owls came back late to make it a close ball game, but the Lions possessed the ball intelligently to secure the win.
COACH KHADIJA HEAD QUOTES
On her thoughts on the game…
"Heart, hustle and effort: those are the three words that resonate with me when I look back on this weekend. Another tough game from tip to finish. We talked about emptying your tank and I feel like mission accomplished. Our team dominated the boards tonight converting 22 offensive rebounds into 27 second-chance points, again a cornerstone of our offensive productivity."
On standout performers…
"Stacie Jones played phenomenal netting a double-double and she has yet to scratch the surface of her potential. Games often come down to possessions and I'm very proud of the effort our players displayed today. Jah'Che Whitfield was impressive with 17 points and one rebound shy of another double-double. Her ability to draw contact is what makes her special. Yamani Paul, fellow freshman, showed her ability to put points on the board while securing valuable rebounds."
On the rest of the season…
"We showed a tremendous amount of growth from Saturday to Sunday with a different set of performers showcasing their talent. We still have a lot of basketball to play this season and I'm excited to see how we grow from here."
HOW IT HAPPENED
The first quarter was another back-and-forth affair between the two teams, with the ball moving up and down the court.
Breanna Hoover made her presence felt with an early trifecta, and Jah'Che Whitfield then hit two free throws to take the Owls' first lead of the game at 7-6.
Yamani Paul started shining early, with a layup to put Kennesaw State up 11-10 with three minutes to go in the first quarter.
North Alabama began to hit consistent 3-point shots to close out the quarter and the Owls found themselves down 21-15 heading into the second.
Kennesaw State came out blazing to start the second quarter with a 7-0 run in the first three minutes. Paul hit another layup to secure the Owls' last lead at 22-21 with 7:12 to go in the half. The freshman would lead the team with eight points and four rebounds at the halftime whistle.
The Lions began to really find their groove beyond the halfway arch and ended the half up 42-34 on the Owls.
Reminiscent of the start of the second quarter, Kennesaw State went on a 7-2 run in the first three minutes of the half to bring themselves within five early in the third quarter; however, the Lions were able to control the game for the rest of the period.
Along with Whitfield battling hard in the paint, Stacie Jones lit up as the fourth quarter began. The freshman hit two quick layups in as many minutes to put the Owls within one at 63-62.
Jones made her third basket of the quarter punctuating another deficit-erasing run to make the score 70-69 in favor of North Alabama. Despite Jones' double-double performance, this is as close as the Owls would come as the Lions would force Kennesaw State into late fouls to close out the game.
NOTES
- The freshmen played another big game for the Owls, scoring 29 of the Owls' 70 points.
- Jah'Che Whitfield was just a rebound away from securing her third double-double of the season.
- Kennesaw State snatched 44 rebounds, 16 more than their opponent.
- The Owls shot 19 more second-chance points than the Lions.
UP NEXT
The Owls head home to the Convocation Center for a weekend series of 2 p.m. games against North Florida on Jan. 9 and 10.
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.
