By: Zac Pike
Kennesaw State (1-1), (0-0)
at Georgia Tech (1-0), (0-0)
Location: Atlanta, Ga. | McCamish Pavilion
Date: Nov. 13
Time: 2:00 p.m. EST
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KENNESAW, Ga. – Fresh off a 100-point performance Monday, Kennesaw State heads to nearby Georgia Tech Sunday at 2 p.m.
The Owls and Yellow Jackets have met 13 times as KSU is still searching for its first win in the series. The two schools played last season on Nov. 11, 2021, with Georgia Tech earning the 72-45 win.
Amani Johnson had a strong performance in the loss, posting 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Kennesaw State carries a lot of momentum into Sunday's matchup as the Owls scored 100 points for the second time in program history and pulled down 61 rebounds, the second-highest total for the program. In addition to the strong work on the glass, Kennesaw State knocked down 11 three-pointers, a mark that tied the fourth-most in KSU Division I history.
Johnson Aiming for KSU Scoring Record
Entering the 2022-23 season,
Amani Johnson is poised to break the Kennesaw State record for most points scored in program history. Johnson currently sits with 1,369 points and only needs 85 more points to pass Alexis Poole for the record. She already holds the KSU Division I record for assists (499), steals (211), and minutes played (4,118).
Scoring Weapons Return to Kennesaw State
The Owls return 73.8% of their scoring from a year ago. Graduate guards
Amani Johnson and
Jah'Che Whitfield combined for 602 total points in KSU's offense last season, with Johnson scoring over 300 points and Whitfield chipping in 235. Four different Owl players accumulated more than 100 points last year, including
Bre'Lyn Snipes (158) and
Stacie Jones (125).
Second Season Under Blue
Octavia Blue enters her second season at the helm at Kennesaw State. After going 9-19 last season, Coach Blue is aiming to build upon last year's squad, improving on strong home performances with an explosive offense and defense. Seven of KSU's nine wins came at home last season, as the Owls won games by an average of 17.3 points. Blue's coaching debut at KSU started strong with a historic 100-31 win over Thomas (Nov. 9), marking the first time Kennesaw State scored 100 points in a game in program history. Blue's squad hit the century mark for the second time in program DI history in the home opener Thursday with a 100-57 win over Middle Georgia State. The Owls knocked down 11 three-pointers, tied for the fourth-highest total and grabbed 61 rebounds in the win, the second highest in KSU history.
Power Five Influx
Kennesaw State made some new additions to the team this offseason, signing two guards and two forwards who transferred from Power 5 schools. Former Purdue guard and Georgia native Lyndsey Whilby returns home to play her graduate season at Kennesaw State. Whilby has gotten off to a quick start at KSU, posting her first career double-double with 20 points and a career-best 14 rebounds against Middle Georgia State. Keyarah Berry, a sophomore guard from Indiana, looks to spark the KSU offense to new heights as she scored 3,340 points in her high school basketball career, which ranks second all-time in the state of Georgia. Junior forward Kyndall Golden previously played nine games at Vanderbilt, averaging 15.7 minutes per game in her sophomore season. Sophomore forward Taylor Cullinan also returns to her native Georgia after playing six games at Alabama and an impressive career at North Paulding High School. KSU's fifth transfer, Carly Hooks, comes from ETSU, where she led the team in points per game as a freshman and sophomore.
Owls Welcome New Assistant Coaches
The Owls added two new assistant coaches this past offseason. Malikah Willis joins the Owls with over 20 years of coaching experience from 10 different colleges, including West Virginia and Georgia Tech. Composed as a high-profile recruiter and veteran coach, Willis helped assemble seven top-25 recruiting classes and coached 16 student-athletes to all-conference honors, including five future WNBA draft picks. Drew Landers brings seven years of Division I coaching experience to KSU as a former assistant coach at USC Upstate for the previous two seasons. Landers improved the Spartans' win total by 14 games, finishing with a record of 22-8, as well as helping player recruitment and development on a national level.
Scouting Georgia Tech
The Yellow Jackets are coming off their second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance last season, earning the No. 9 seed. Tech made consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the Yellow Jackets made six-straight appearances from 2007-2012. The Jackets capped the season with a 20-11 overall record and 11-7 Atlantic Coast Conference mark. Georgia Tech knocked off Georgia State 60-42 in the season opener as Bianca Jackson and Cameron Swartz combined for 37 points in the win.
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.
