Score: Kennesaw State 72, Georgia Southern 71
Records: Kennesaw State (4-6, 0-0), Georgia Southern (8-3, 0-0)
Key Players: Amani Johnson (16 pts, 2 rebs); Jah'Che Whitfield (11 pts, 5 rebs); Bre'Lyn Snipes (10 pts, 1 reb)

THE STORYLINE
The Owls dominated through three quarters and managed to hold on to a 72-71 victory Friday night in the Convocation Center, after a late surge from the Eagles brought the final tally within one.

COACH OCTAVIA BLUE QUOTES
On the team's performance…
"We had 11 days to sit on their 133-point performance and we prepared the kids as if we were going to play the No. 1 team in the country. That's how we prepared all week and we toughed it out until the end today."

On the presence of Johnson and Poole…
"Their presence means so much to the team. I think everyone feels confident, including myself, when they're on the court especially when Amani Johnson has the ball in her hand. She can create so much for herself and others. Every time she's on the floor, we know something good is going to happen."

HOW IT HAPPENED
Kennesaw State took the early lead off of a 3-pointer from Jah'Che Whitfield, giving the Owls a 9-4 advantage with 6:30 left in the first quarter.

Amani Johnson joined the triple party later on in the period, recapturing a lead at 15-12 with 2:44 on the clock.

Taking a 22-17 lead into the second quarter, Julia Rodriguez netted an improbable layup with her left hand to extend the host's lead to 32-24.

With 1:22 left until intermission, Johnson drove to the net from the point with ferocity to swish a layup.

The halftime whistle blew with the Owls leading 43-31, Kennesaw State's first upper hand on a Division I opponent this season.

Bre'Lyn Snipes came out of the Convocation Center locker room on fire, nailing an and-one opportunity and a trifecta.

The Owls captured their biggest lead of the matchup at 56-39 with 3:32 left in the third quarter, thanks to another Johnson trey.

The Eagles would go on a 17-7 run to end the third quarter, but Prencis Harden helped kill the momentum early on in the fourth. Harden guarded the inbounding passer, converting two steals on the baseline into easy layups.
Kennesaw State's last field goal came off the hand of Alexis Poole to grab a 71-66 edge with 4:07 left in the clash.

The ball was left in Georgia Southern's court to win the game, but the Eagles constantly came short. A traveling call and three missed free throws from the Statesboro, Ga. team solidified a win for the Owls, who successfully beat the newsworthy Eagles by a point.

NOTES
- 10 out of 14 Owls tallied points.

- Stacie Jones ended the night with a career high in assists (6).

- Prencis Harden set a career high in points (8).

- The Owls outscored the Eagles in the paint 44-36.

- KSU had more defensive rebounds than GS (21-17).

- The Owls scored 25 points off of turnovers.

UP NEXT
The Owls hit the road for their final game before Christmas, as they face Auburn on December 20 at 1 p.m.

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.