By: Zac Pike
Kennesaw State (8-9), (4-2)
at Jacksonville State (9-8), (2-4)
Location: Jacksonville, Ala. | Pete Mathews Coliseum
Date: Jan. 20
Time: 5:00 p.m. EST
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KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State women's basketball heads to Jacksonville, Ala. for a rematch against the Jacksonville Gamecocks late Saturday afternoon at the Pete Mathews Coliseum.
Last night, Kennesaw State led for nearly all 40 minutes and cruised to a 71-61 win over Jacksonville State Thursday night at the KSU Convocation Center. With the win, the Owls improved to 4-2 overall in ASUN Conference play, their best start since the 2007-08 season and have won seven of their last 10 games. KSU's 5-1 record at home is the best in nearly 10 years and the Owls have won three straight at the KSU Convocation Center.
Jah'Che Whitfield posted a strong performance Thursday night with 21 points (16 in the first half), six rebounds and two assists. The Sumter, S.C. native has scored in double-figures in 10 of the past 11 contests and 20 or more three times this season.
Stacie Jones finished with 12 points and nine boards and
Lyndsey Whilby added 10, going 2-for-4 from distance to lead the Owls.
Kennesaw State and the Gamecocks have met 22 times, with Jacksonville State holding a 13-9 advantage in the series. The Owls are 7-3 over the last 10 games against JSU dating back to the 2007-08 season.
KSU Starts Conference Play 4-2 for First Time Since 2007-08
After a grueling non-conference slate that featured three games against Power-5 opponents, KSU has won seven of its past 10 games, including a 71-52 win at previously unbeaten in ASUN action Lipscomb. The 4-2 start under second-year coach, Octavia Blue is the best start for the Owls in the ASUN since the 2008-09 season. KSU is currently tied for fourth with Liberty in the ASUN standings.
Amani Johnson Adds Another Milestone
The graduate senior added another major milestone to her outstanding career on Saturday. Johnson knocked down a pair of free throws late in the game at Austin Peay, which put her past the 1,500-point mark in her KSU career. The guard is already the KSU DI all-time leader in scoring (1,502), assists (573), field goals made (552), field goals attempted (1,473), minutes played (4,662) and steals (234).
Owls Flying High
Kennesaw State is 7-3 over its last 10 games, which included a three-game winning streak for the first time since early February last year. The Owls took down Bellarmine on the road, Central Arkansas and North Florida from Feb. 5th through Feb. 12th a season ago. This season KSU posted another three-game winning streak with wins coming against Austin Peay at home and wins on the road at Bellarmine and Lipscomb.
Defense is Key
The KSU defense drives the success of the team this season and the Owls are 8-2 when holding their opponent below 40 percent shooting from the field. Over the last seven games, KSU has held four opponents below 57 points in four of the seven contests. Kennesaw State is 5-0 this season when limiting opponents under 60 points.
Hitting the Boards
KSU's offensive rebounding has been a staple all season. The Owls lead the ASUN in offensive rebounds per game, with 13.44. Last time out, Kennesaw State crashed the offensive glass for 15 offensive rebounds against Jacksonville State. KSU has posted at least 11 offensive rebounds in four straight games.
Hooks Posts Career-High 21 Points at Lipscomb
Carly Hooks stuffed the stat sheet in Thursday's win at Lipscomb. The Atlanta native finished with a career-best 21 points, four rebounds, three steals, two blocks and two assists on the night.
Whitfield Leading Owls in Multiple Categories
Jah'Che Whitfield finished with a career-high 23 points and 10 rebounds at EKU in the ASUN Conference opener, posting her first double-double of the season and the ninth of her career. The Sumter, S.C. native has scored at least 11 points in 10 of the last 11 games and leads the Owls in scoring (13.9), rebounding (5.5), defensive rebounds (69), made field goals (89), field goals attempted (199), free throws made (44) free throws attempted (71) and three-point percentage (.455).
KSU and Johnson Break Records in Rout Over Coastal Georgia
Kennesaw State scored a program-record 109 points and
Amani Johnson added another record to an already illustrious career as the graduate senior scored 15 points to break the KSU Division I career scoring record as the Owls raced past Coastal Georgia 109-53. Johnson finished with her first double-double of the season, scoring 15 and dishing out a career-high 13 assists. Johnson surpassed
Alexis Poole on the all-time scoring list, who set the record last season for KSU. The Owls set season highs in points (109), field goals made (38), field goal attempts (81), free throws made (25), assists (23), steals (15) and blocked shots (6) in a dominant performance against the Mariners. Six Owls scored in double-figures in the 56-point win over the Mariners.
Scouting Jacksonville State
Jax State (9-8, 2-4) fell below .500 in conference play for the first time since 2019-20 following a pair of losses in the Volunteer State last week and then a 71-61 defeat at the hands of the Owls. JSU could not stop Austin Peay in crunch time on Thursday in Clarksville, surrendering a 5-0 run late and suffering a 47-43 defeat. Their luck did not improve two days later in Nashville, as Rick Pietri's squad battled back from significant deficits twice to regain the lead but could not hold on in a 62-55 loss. Kennedy Gavin tallied two more standout performances for Jax State over the weekend. The Petal, Miss., native had a team-high nine points and 11 rebounds at Austin Peay before following it up with a 19-point, 12-rebound double-double against Lipscomb. Those 12 rebounds are a season-best for Gavin, who leads the team in rebounds per game (8.3) and is second on the team in points per game (11.2). Shawnta Shaw, the squad's leading scorer (11.4 points per game), cooled off a bit and had just 12 total points in Tennessee. The Gamecocks are seventh in turnovers per game (11.4), 14
th in scoring defense (54.2 points allowed per game), 14
th in defensive three-point percentage (25.2%), and 24
th in turnover margin (+5.25). The Gamecocks entered last week tied for second in the ASUN standings but now sit in a tie for eighth place with a 2-4 conference mark.
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.
