Score: Kennesaw State 63, North Alabama 50
Records: Kennesaw State (6-12, 2-5), North Alabama (7-12, 2-5)
Key Players: Amani Johnson (18 pts, 5 stls, 4 assts, 3 rebs);
Alexis Poole (16 pts, 8 rebs);
Gabi Legister (12 pts, 7 rebs, 3 assts)
THE STORYLINE
The good vibes continued in the Convocation Center after the alumni of the Kennesaw State women's basketball team were introduced at halftime, with the current Owls putting in their best defensive performance of the season to dominate North Alabama 63-50 Saturday afternoon.
COACH OCTAVIA BLUE QUOTES
On how it feels to bounce back…
"So happy. So important to bounce back. Anytime you can get a win against a conference opponent on your home court, it's a great feeling. It wasn't the prettiest thing, but it was a gritty win for us."
On the play of Gabi Legister…
"Gabi was a presence. Every time she caught the ball, she did her work early. She buried deep, and then she was able to turn and score. Any time she does her work early, gets on the low post and scores, it's a good thing for us."
On the game plan…
"Holding this team to 18 percent from 3 was huge, we knew they made about 10 a game. I told my team, 'just take some pride, because we've been allowing about 10 a game.' We had to really defend that.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both offenses struggled to get going early on, with no points scored in the opening two minutes; North Alabama would break that run with a free throw to make it 1-0.
Gabi Legister was immense in the first quarter, going three-of-five from the field for eight points in five minutes of play.
Going into the second quarter down 12-10,
Alexis Poole danced through the free-throw lane to lay a shot up and tie the game.
Poole's high-contact finish sparked a huge 12-0 run for the hosts, putting the Owls up 22-12 with 5:46 left in the half.
The Lions were able to pull it back before the halftime whistle, lessening the deficit to 26-22 as the teams entered the locker room.
Coach Blue's squad benefited from another run at the start of the third quarter, this time a 6-0 spell that recaptured a 10-point lead.
The Owls were up by 10 once again as
Amani Johnson converted an opponent turnover into a 3-point shot and gave her team a 41-31 lead; Johnson would go on to score 18, her highest tally in conference play this season.
Already up by a comfortable 12-point margin at the beginning of the fourth, Owls would keep the momentum swinging in their favor by out-scoring the Lions 18-17 in the fourth quarter.
Closing the game with a 63-50 win, Kennesaw State put up its strongest defensive performance of the ASUN campaign so far.
UP NEXT
The Owls hit the road once again, heading to ASUN newcomer Eastern Kentucky for the first contest between the two teams in the programs' history. Tipoff is on Thursday, Feb. 3 at 5 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.
