Score: Kennesaw State 100, Middle Georgia State 57
Records: Kennesaw State (1-1), Middle Georgia State (1-2)
Key Players: Lyndsey Whilby (20 pts, 14 rebs, 4-6 3FGs); Jah'Che Whitfield (13 pts, 5 rebs, 2 asts); Carly Hooks (11 pts, 6 asts, 3 rebs)
THE STORYLINE
Kennesaw State women's basketball tied the program record for points scored as the Owls cruised to a 100-57 victory over Middle Georgia State Thursday night at the KSU Convocation Center. KSU has scored 100 points or more twice in its Division I history, with both coming under head coach Octavia Blue. The Owls previously set the record in the season opener last season with a 100-31 victory over Thomas (GA). KSU was also impressive on the glass, pulling down 61 rebounds, the second-highest total in school history.
Lyndsey Whilby posted her first career double-double with 20 points and doubled her previous career-best with 14 boards. Jah'Che Whitifeld scored in double-digits for the second consecutive game, while Carly Hooks and Amani Johnson combined for 15 assists to lead the KSU offense.
COACH OCTAVIA BLUE QUOTES
On tonight's performance…
"It was a tale of two halves tonight. Our kids came out a little overanxious and got bogged down a little bit early. Somehow, we picked it up and scored 100 points after how we started in the first half. We went in and regrouped at half."
On what was the difference between the first and second half…
"We were just flat at the start. I was looking to the bench to try to get us energized. They stalled us out with their zone, we were playing tentative and needed to attack the basket to create more opportunities, but we kept settling for too many three-pointers in the first half."
On getting 61 rebounds tonight…
"Rebounding the ball 61 times tonight made me feel a lot better. I felt like we gave up too many offensive rebounds in the first half, but I basically told everyone if you don't start boxing people out, you will be sitting down."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Middle Georgia State opened the game with a quick 7-4 start. Whilby knocked down back-to-back three-pointers and Whitfield sprinted down the court after a steal to put the Owls in front 12-9 with 3:46 remaining in the first quarter.
The Knights answered with a three-pointer of their own and added a layup to retake the lead, 14-13, with just over two minutes left.
The Owls closed out the quarter with three points from Kyndall Golden and a Bre'Lyn Snipes offensive putback to go back in front, 18-16.
Gabi Legister began the second quarter with a spin move in the paint for an easy layup that jumpstarted an 11-4 run behind seven more points from Whilby to build a nine-point lead, 29-20.
KSU finished the final two minutes on a 12-4 run, highlighted by a Johnson layup as time nearly expired to take a 41-28 lead into the break.
Kennesaw State began the second half in a similar fashion, scoring 20 out of the first 23 points, as Whitfield knocked down two three-pointers, Gillian Piccolino connected on her first triple of the season to go up 30, 61-31, with four minutes left in the third.
The Owls continued to attack offensively in the fourth, as Keyarah Berry joined in on the offensive action with a pair of three-pointers and Hooks scored on four consecutive shots to extend the lead to 88-49, with just under four minutes to play.
Lee'Aira Willis converted a three-point play and knocked down a pull-up three-pointer over the final minute of play as the Owls took home the 100-57 win.
UP NEXT
The Owls travel down the road to take on Georgia Tech Sunday at 2 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.
