By: Matteen Zibanejadrad
Kennesaw State (1-2), (0-0) vs. No. 22 West Virginia (1-0), (0-0)
Location: Morgantown, W.Va. | WVU Coliseum
Date: Friday, Nov. 19
Time: 12 p.m. EST
Live Stats | Watch | Game Notes
The Kennesaw State women's basketball takes its first out-of-state road trip with the Owls' second-ever trip to Morgantown, W.Va. to take on the No. 22 Mountaineers.
West Virginia is head coach Octavia Blue's second opponent this season to feature in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, with the Mountaineers losing out to previous KSU opponent Georgia Tech in last year's second round.
BACK IN THE DEEP END
Alexis Poole has made a spectacular return to the court after opting out of the 2019-20 season.
The Ellenwood, Ga. native currently leads the squad in both scoring and rebounding, logging an average of 13.7 points and eight boards per game.
The senior also leads the squad in steals with nine, which places her second among ASUN players. Poole also sits in the conference's top 10 in both scoring and rebounding.
BAKER IS COOKING
Freshman Amaris Baker has impressed since making her debut and is currently tied for third in scoring with three games played.
Coach Blue will hope that Baker's performance against FIU is a breakthrough for higher-caliber performances to come, with the guard nailing three late treys to spark an energy boost for the team.
Baker is the team's best 3-point shooter statistically, draining four of her nine shots from the perimeter.
SCOUTING WEST VIRGINIA
WVU junior Ezmery Martinez returned to dominance after her impressive 2020-21 season in Tuesday night's 86-33 win against Saint Francis. The Dominican averaged a double-double last campaign and almost captured that pace in the Mountaineers' regular-season return to the WVU Coliseum. Martinez led West Virginia in scoring and rebounding against the Red Flash, with 19 points and seven boards; she shot 9-for-14 from the field. The junior is a reigning member of the All-Big 12 Team.
The Mountaineers have not opened up the season as a 3-point shooting team, with only six of their 86 points against the Red Flash coming from beyond the arc. The only West Virginia player to make a three was junior guard KK Deans, who was second in Mountaineer scoring with 18 points. Perhaps more impressively, Deans has taken an early Big 12 lead for steals by forcing seven turnovers against Saint Francis.
The resume of WVU head coach Mike Carey speaks for itself, with the native West Virginia logging over 700 wins as a college basketball coach. In his time with the Mountaineers, Carey has racked up 11 NCAA Tournament appearances and a 2017 Big 12 title.
NEXT GAME
The Owls return home to the Convocation Center for a two-game stint, facing off against Chattanooga in the first game on Tuesday, Nov. 23 with a 7 p.m. tipoff.
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.
