By: Zac Pike
Kennesaw State (0-1), (0-0)
vs. Middle Georgia State (1-2), (0-0)
Location: Kennesaw, Ga. | KSU Convocation Center
Date: Nov. 10
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Live Stats |
Video
KENNESAW, Ga. – After a valiant performance at Ole Miss in the season opener, Kennesaw State welcomes Middle Georgia State for the first home game of the season Thursday at 7 p.m. at the KSU Convocation Center.
The two programs have met three times, with the Owls holding a 3-0 advantage in the series. KSU has scored at least 80 points in all three contests, averaging 83.0 points per game. The last time Kennesaw State and the Knights met on the court, the Owls won 88-49 (Dec. 31, 2019).
KSU has won five straight home openers, dating back to the 2017-18 season.
Season tickets for the 2022-23 basketball season are still available for purchase! Ticket packages start at $55 and courtside season tickets are still available for Owl Fund members. Click
here to secure your seats! Please call the ticket office at 470-578-6957 to purchase courtside seats.
Single-game tickets for Middle Georgia State can be purchased
here.
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 at 1,365 points and only needs 89 more to pass Alexis Poole for the record. She already holds the KSU Division I record for assists (485), steals (209), and minutes played (4,061).
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). Whitfield led KSU with a game-high 18 points and Johnson chipped in 15 to lead the KSU offense against Ole Miss in the season opener Monday.
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.
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, bringing along postseason success in Big Ten Tournament victories. 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 Middle Georgia State
Middle Georgia State enters the matchup 1-2 after dropping two straight games. A 70-57 loss to St. Thomas and an 81-67 defeat to Ave Maria. Kassidy Broussard, Lashauna Coley, and Destanee Wright have emerged to lead MGSU's offense. Broussard is averaging 22.0 PPG in her first two starts. Coley, averages 16.0 ppg, including 23 in the season opener. Wright scored 25 points and had five steals in her first start of the season against Ave Maria. Head Coach Anderson Ligon was named to the Sliver Waves Media's list of "Most Impactful Head Coaches in NAIA Women's Basketball" entering the season.
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.
