Score: Kennesaw State 54, Auburn 66
Records: Kennesaw State (4-7, 0-0), Auburn (8-3, 0-0)
Key Players: Alexis Poole (20 pts, 8-13 FG, 9 rebs); Amani Johnson (15 pts, 11 rebs, 3 assts)

THE STORYLINE
Amani Johnson earned her first double-double of the season and Alexis Poole caught fire late to tally her first 20-point game since March 2, 2020; however, the Owls outscoring the Tigers 20-14 in the fourth quarter on Monday afternoon in Auburn Arena wasn't enough to overcome the early deficit.

COACH OCTAVIA BLUE QUOTES
On another big game from Poole and Johnson…
"We struggled against the Tigers at the start. Auburn plays a really tough defense and they made it hard for us to catch the ball on the perimeter, so we were having trouble scoring. Amani Johnson carried us in the first half, really attacking and threatening their defense and getting shots off. Then Alexis Poole really came on strong in the second half, making some key plays and finishing on the inside."

On Johnson finishing with 11 rebounds…
"She's a competitor. She gets in there and she's not afraid to roll up her sleeves and get her knees bruised. She's a top notch competitor, she fights to the end and that's what we love about her."

On the 13-0 run in the fourth quarter…
"I think we started to see that we were having some success with the offense we were running. When we did that, our defense picked up too. Our tempo picked up when we saw the ball move through the net a little bit. Our defensive intensity picked up, we got in our 2-3 zone and we were able to get some stops and some rebounds."

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Owls started out by capturing their first and only lead at 2-1, thanks to two Poole free throws. The senior out of Ellenwood, Ga. was a perfect four-for-four from the line on Monday.

Down 13-21 at the end of the first quarter, every field goal was made by either Johnson or Poole in the first 10 minutes of the matchup.

Auburn began to really flex its muscle in the second quarter, keeping Kennesaw State to four points.

The first half whistle blew with the Tigers up 32-17, but the Owls refused to give in.

Poole set the tone for the second half by converting a steal into a layup to cut Auburn's lead to 32-19.

Johnson would complete the cycle by ending the third quarter with a splash from beyond the arc, wrapping up the period with her team down 52-34.

Coach Blue and her Owls have made a habit of making their fourth quarter their strongest, and Monday afternoon's game against the Tigers was no exception.

KSU would go on a 13-0 scoring streak in the heart of the fourth quarter, with Poole sparking the run with eight-straight points.

The positive spell was capped by a trifecta from Jah'Che Whitfield, bringing Kennesaw State to within six points after being down by 26 in the third quarter.

Fouls and a huge 3-pointer bought some breathing room for Auburn, who would finish out the contest over Kennesaw State 66-54.

UP NEXT
The Owls travel to Birmingham, Ala. to take on the Samford Bulldogs on Wednesday, Dec. 29 at 7 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.