Score: Kennesaw State 69, Georgia State 63
Records: Kennesaw State (2-6), Georgia State (4-7)
Key Players: Jah'Che Whitfield (18 pts, 7-for-12 FGs, 4 rebs, 3 stls, 2 asts); Lyndsey Whilby (16 pts, 4 3FGs, team-high 7 rebs); Amani Johnson (6 pts, 8 asts, 4 rebs)
THE STORYLINE
Kennesaw State women's basketball defeated Georgia State 69-63 for the third time in program history and the second win over the Panthers at the KSU Convocation Center Saturday afternoon. Jah'Che Whitfield led the team in scoring for the second straight game, netting 18 points and Lyndsey Whilby finished with 16 points and four three-pointers. Amani Johnson did an excellent job facilitating the offense, adding six points, eight assists and zero turnovers.
COACH OCTAVIA BLUE QUOTES
On being back at home…
"It feels so great to be back at home, the crowd was amazing, and the band was here to give our players an extra kick. It was great home cooking from the fans today.
On getting the win at home…
"A win period was huge, whether it was at home or on the road. But it's always big to get a win in front of the home crowd. It felt great tonight and the crowd was energized. Georgia State started to make a comeback and we were able to sustain it with the energy the fans brought tonight."
On bringing the energy on the sidelines…
"I've felt like I have been playing with them and they need to know that I'm in the fire with them. We've lost some tough ones and been in games and if the ball takes some different bounces, we get those wins. Tonight, I just wanted to let them know I was in the foxhole with them."
On how the team can build off today's win into conference play…
"I think we are a deep team. We can insert people in certain instances. Gillian Piccolino showed up and came off the bench by hitting two big threes. Lee Lee Willis came in, playing some great defense and got a charge. Bre'Lyn Snipes also came off the bench and hit a big three. It's great to have weapons and I think that is going to help us in conference play."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Whilby opened the contest by hitting back-to-back triples as the Owls built an early 6-2 lead.
KSU pushed their lead to 13-8, Gabi Legister and Whitfield hit consecutive layups and Prencis Harden knocked down a pair of free throws.
Whilby hit her third trey of the quarter with just under two minutes left to extend the lead to six.
The Panthers used an 8-0 run in the second quarter to take a 26-23 lead with 5:20 left in the half.
Whilby continued her hot start by scoring five straight points to put KSU back in front, 28-26.
After Georgia State hit two free throws late in the second quarter to tie the game up at 31-31 at the half, Whitfield came out in the third quarter on fire. The Sumter, S.C. native scored 11 points in the first five minutes, going 5-of-6 from the floor during the stretch, as the Owls pushed their lead to eight, 42-34.
Georgia State responded by making four of its next five shots to cut the KSU lead to two, 49-47, with 2:10 left in the third.
Kennesaw State limited Georgia State to 0-of-8 shooting during a six-minute stretch to begin the fourth quarter. Snipes knocked down a three-pointer and scored on a layup the next possession after Piccolino forced a steal in the backcourt as the Owls built a 60-51 advantage. KSU extended its lead to 13. 65-52 after Piccolino knocked down her second triple of the game.
The Panthers refused to go away, going on a 6-0 run to make it 66-61, with 44.8 seconds left.
KSU sealed the game at the free throw line, going 3-for-4 over the final 40 seconds to secure the 69-63 victory over Georgia State.
UP NEXT
The Owls head to Greenville, S.C. to take on the Furman Paladins Thursday at 7 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.
