By: Zac Pike
Kennesaw State (1-2), (0-0)
at Georgia (3-0), (0-0)
Location: Athens, Ga. | Stegeman Coliseum
Date: Nov. 16
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
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KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State continues its strong non-conference slate with a tough road test against the Georgia Bulldogs Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at Stegeman Coliseum. The Owls have opened the season on the road against three Power-5 teams in four games and look to knock off the Bulldogs for the first time in program history.
KSU and Georgia have met four times, with the Bulldogs winning the previous four matchups. The two teams last met on Nov. 7, 2019, when UGA outlasted the Owls 80-65.
The Owls are still searching for their first win over an SEC opponent after dropping a close 72-60 game at Ole Miss in the season opener.
Record-Setting Home Performance
Second-year head coach Octavia Blue has shown what her offense is capable of early on as the Owls' offense has rewritten the Kennesaw State record books with a pair of 100-point outbursts in just over a year at the helm. The Owls hit the century mark for the second time in KSU DI history in the home opener last Thursday in 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 figure in KSU 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 1,377 points and only needs 77 more points to pass Alexis Poole for the record. She already holds the KSU Division I record for assists (500), steals (213), and minutes played (4,147).
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). Through three games this season, Lyndsey Whilby (10.7 points per game),
Jah'Che Whitfield (10.0 points) and
Amani Johnson (9.0 points) lead the Owl offense.
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 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
Georgia's 3-0 start marks the best start for a head coach in Georgia history. Javyn Nicholson has scored in double figures in two out of three games for the Bulldogs. Nicholson scored 20 points for the third time in her career with 20 points and a career-best 14 rebounds against Alabama State. Georgia has forced at least 15 turnovers in its first three games while holding opponents below 40% from the field. This marks the 50th season of Georgia Lady Bulldog basketball. Georgia ranks 15th all-time in win percentage (.694) and 16th in total wins (1,041). Georgia ranks second nationally in NCAA tournament appearances with 35 and is still one of only three programs to boast a winning record every season since 1981. An SEC-leading 10 newcomers will don the red and black this season. The Lady Bulldogs' roster features five returners, five graduate transfers, four freshmen and a sophomore transfer.
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.
