Box Score

Score: Kennesaw State 67, Bellarmine 73
Records: Kennesaw State (5-6, 1-6), Bellarmine (2-10, 2-5)
Key Players: Amani Johnson (16 pts, 3 assts), Jah'Che Whitfield (13 pts, 8 rebs), Breanna Hoover (9 pts, 9 rebs, 2 assts), Stacie Jones (11 pts, 4 rebs), Gabi Legister (10 pts, 7 rebs)

THE STORYLINE
Despite leading for more than half of the game, fouls troubled the Owls' ability to close the game out. Four different KSU players scored 10 or more points, as Bellarmine surged late on to win 73-67.

COACH KHADIJA HEAD QUOTES:
On today's game...
"This was a tough road lost. Thankfully, we are a better team on Sundays. The team is full of confident women who meet every challenge head on. We had four players in double digits, shot 54% from the field, and dominated points in the paint. I'm excited to see our energy and focus. Tomorrow is a new day to be better, and better is what we will be."

HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Knights were finding their groove early on, jumping out to an early 9-2 lead in the first 2:30 of the matchup.

Former ASUN Freshman of the Week started to build up the Owls' confidence as she scored five points through the first four minutes of the quarter to cut the Bellarmine lead to 11-7 with 6:44 to go. 

Jones would make a driving layup off a Julia Rodriguez assist, which sparked a 5-0 run to end the first; the Owls would find themselves down by only two, as the second quarter started with the Knights leading 20-18. 

Returning to the lineup after an ankle injury sidelined the guard against North Florida, Hoover started to show how much she was missed as she started the second quarter with an early layup to tie the game at 20. 

Hoover wouldn't stop there, as she shot a jumper and a layup to put the Owls up 24-22 with 7:10 left to go in the half. This was part of a 12-2 run capped off by Gabi Legister to put the Owls up 30-22 with 4:11 on the clock. 

Bellarmine wouldn't stop working, and did its best to get within three at halftime; the first half whistle rang out with the Owls leading 34-31. 

Amani Johnson began to inflict her routine influence on the game at the beginning of the second half, shooting a jumper to put KSU up by five. 

Feeding off of her junior counterpart, Jah'Che Whitfield grew into the game as well. The transfer from Winthrop University shot a big trifecta to snatch the lead back away from the Knights, who now trailed 39-38. Whitfield scored four more points in quick succession and the Owls found themselves leading 43-38 with 4:11 left in the third quarter. 

Whitfield would repeat herself, shooting a jumper to pull the Owls back into a 45-43 lead. 

With just a minute to go in the penultimate period, Johnson hit what felt like a dagger shot from beyond the arc to end the quarter with a 50-45 Owls lead. 

Johnson continued that form, scoring her 12th point off of another trey to extend a lead to 53-49 in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter. 

With 4:04 to go in the contest, Legister hit a layup to join Johnson, Whitfield and Stacie Jones in the double digits; however, KSU would start to lose its biggest scorers as Legister, Whitfield and Jones all fouled out late in the game. 

With the Owls losing big contributors, the Knights would go on a 16-7 run after the Legister layup to capture their second ASUN win with a 73-67 score.

 NOTES:
- Four different Owls scored points in the double digits.
- Breanna Hoover had a big return to the lineup, scoring nine points and grabbing a team-high nine boards.
- KSU shot 27-for-50 on field goals for 54%.
- Owls outrebounded the Knights 38-33.
- Amani Johnson led Kennesaw State scoring for the sixth game in a row. 

UP NEXT
The Owls get a second shot at taking a win off the Knights, as KSU returns to Freedom Hall at 2 p.m. EST tomorrow for the second game of the series against Bellarmine. 

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.