Score: Kennesaw State 65, Jacksonville State 60
Records: Kennesaw State (9-9, 5-2), Jacksonville State (9-9, 2-5)
Key Players: Carly Hooks (16 pts, 8-for-13 FGs, 3 stls, 1 ast, 1 reb); Jah'Che Whitfield (14 pts, 9 rebs); Amani Johnson (9 pts, 3 asts, 3 stls, 1 reb)
THE STORYLINE
Kennesaw State earned a 65-60 win at Jacksonville State Saturday night at the Pete Mathews Coliseum. The Owls improved to 5-2 overall in ASUN Conference play, matching the 2007-08 squad for the most wins through seven games and have won eight of their last 11 games. The win was KSU's first at Jacksonville State since 2012-13 as the Owls continue to make huge strides this season. Kennesaw State shot 51 percent from the field, outscoring the Gamecocks 38-22 in points in the paint and 21-8 in points off turnovers. Carly Hooks was instrumental in the win, posting 19 points (16 in the second half) and three huge steals, including one in the final 30 seconds. Jah'Che Whitfield finished with 14 points and has scored in double-figures in 11 of the last 12 contests.
COACH OCTAVIA BLUE QUOTES
On tonight's performance…
"It's always difficult, first of all, how good of a team Jacksonville State is. Beating them back-to-back in 48 hours, you are beating a tough team on their home court. We knew the game was going to be neck and neck and blow for blow. I was really proud of the effort that everyone who got minutes on the floor and really contributed to getting this win."
On the challenges of beating a team twice in 48 hours…
"You only have exactly one day for adjustments. We played each other at home and this time Jacksonville State players got to sleep in their own beds. We were coming to their home and their gym where they take a ton of shots and probably make a ton of shots. We knew our defensive effort had to be great tonight and we had to execute on the offensive end."
On Carly's performance, particularly in the third quarter…
"It was huge. What we did was take Amani Johnson off the ball for her to score off the ball and Carly Hooks is able to ignite our transition game which really opened up. It was hard for Jacksonville State to keep Carly in front of them. So, our intensity picked up. We understand how important third quarters are and we wanted to take the momentum coming out of the locker room."
On scoring 38 points in the paint and shooting over 50 percent from the floor with two three-pointers…
"Obviously, it's a point of emphasis for our team. We love to shoot the three but if they aren't falling, we have to pound the ball inside, we have to score in the paint and we have to finish against tough defenses. We knew they were a physical team, and I was talking to my entire team about finishing through contact. So, I was really happy with us scoring 38 points in the paint, which was a tremendous job by us. I was really proud of our efforts.
HOW IT HAPPENED
JSU started with a three-pointer at the top of the key and knocked down a transition layup to grab an early 5-0 lead.
Johnson hit a mid-range jumper, and Stacie Jones and Whitfield scored a pair of buckets as the Owls pulled within two, 9-7, with just over five minutes remaining in the first.
After Jacksonville State stretched the lead to 14-9, KSU answered with a 10-0 run to go in front 19-14 with 47 seconds left. Kennesaw State shot 54 percent (7-for-13) from the floor as six Owls scored at least two points in the first quarter.
The Owls pushed its lead to six, 27-21 after a trio of layups from Whitfield and Johnson in the middle of the second quarter. The Gamecocks responded with a 10-2 run over the final 5:30 to retake a 31-29 lead into the break.
The start of the third quarter saw the offensive pace pick up significantly as the Owls scored nine points in the first two minutes to go up 38-35. KSU shot 4-for-5 from the field during the offensive outburst.
Jacksonville State connected on a triple to give them back the lead, 40-38 but Hooks scored eight straight points to put KSU back on top, 46-40 at the four-minute mark. Lyndsey Whilby connected on a triple with five seconds left in the third quarter to put Kennesaw State up 53-44 after three.
KSU held the Gamecocks to just two field goals (2-for-6) over the first five minutes of the fourth quarter as the Owls held a 58-51 lead.
After JSU cut the KSU lead to four, 59-55, Hooks once again answered with a huge bucket, banking in a running jumper and completed the three-point play to extend the lead back to seven, 62-55, with 2:35 to go.
The Gamecocks scored four straight points to make it 62-60 with 1:15 remaining. Hooks came up with a huge steal with less than 30 seconds on the clock and threw it out to Whitfield who knocked down two clutch free throws to seal the game for KSU, 65-60.
UP NEXT
KSU returns home for a White Out against North Alabama Thursday at 5 p.m. at the KSU Convocation Center.
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.
