Score: Kennesaw State 65, No. 23 FGCU 100
Records: Kennesaw State (4-9, 0-2), FGCU (14-1, 3-0)
Key Players: Amani Johnson (14 pts, 9 assts, 3 rebs); Gillian Piccolino (8 pts, 13 rebs, 3 blocks); Jah'Che Whitfield (13 pts, 3 rebs)

THE STORYLINE
A depleted KSU squad of seven players took on the defending champion FGCU Eagles Wednesday night in the Convocation Center, fighting valiantly to a 100-65 loss. 

COACH OCTAVIA BLUE QUOTES
On the team's performance…
"It was really gutsy. I thought they played hard, they were focused and they knew that we could score. It's hard to sustain that level of play for 40 minutes when you only have seven players and you can't grant them the proper rest."

On the game plan for Stetson…
"The game plan is to get back into the Convo, get our players some rest and give that same brilliant effort that we did in the first half: playing hard, playing tough on offense and defending the ball."

HOW IT HAPPENED
Gillian Piccolino got to work early, splashing a 3-pointer to take the 5-2 lead for her team. The Pennsylvanian had the best game of her season, tallying season highs in points (eight), blocks (three), assists (two) and a career high in rebounds with 13. 

A 7-0 run would put the Owls up 12-7, the largest lead for the hosts on the night; the streak was capped by a trifecta from Jah'Che Whitfield.

The Eagles would end the opening quarter up 28-18 after outscoring Kennesaw State 21-6 over the rest of the period. 

Amaris Baker was able to get the Owls back within six with a driving layup at the 7:15 mark of the second quarter, cutting the deficit to 31-25. 

With Piccolino playing more in a forward position, she racked up five boards in the second quarter alone.

The Owls were able to keep it close in the second quarter, netting 17 points to Gulf Coast's 21. They were able to keep the Eagles quieter than usual before halftime, with the visitors shooting for 38.9 percent from the field.

FGCU coach Karl Smesko fixed the small inadequacies at halftime and the Eagles ended the game in the third quarter by shooting 12-from-22 for 30 points. 

There was no looking back for the Fort Myers, Fla. team, who would finish the night at the century mark and their third conference win of the season.

UP NEXT
The Owls head out on a three-game road trip, which begins with a Saturday matinée at Stetson on Jan. 15 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.