By: Zac Pike
Kennesaw State (9-9), (5-2)
vs. North Alabama (7-11), (2-5)
Location: Kennesaw, Ga. | KSU Convocation Center
Date: Jan. 26
Time: 5:00 p.m. EST
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KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State women's basketball returns to the KSU Convocation Center for a White Out against North Alabama Thursday at 5 p.m.
Fans are encouraged to wear white and free KSU White Out t-shirts will be available. The women's game against the Lions will be the first of a doubleheader with the men's game against Austin Peay set to start afterward at 7:30.
KSU and UNA have met seven times, with the Lions holding a narrow 4-3 advantage. However, the Owls are 3-0 at home and look to stay undefeated at the KSU Convocation Center in the series against the Lions.
Last season, Kennesaw State took down North Alabama 63-50 on its home court as
Amani Johnson finished with 18 points, five steals, four assists and three rebounds and
Gabi Legister added 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists to lead the Owls. KSU's defense was stifling in the win, limiting UNA to 29.3 percent from the field and just 16 percent from beyond the arc.
Kennesaw State has posted a 5-1 record at home, its best start in nearly a decade. The Owls have won three straight games at the KSU Convocation Center. KSU is averaging 78.7 points per game and allowing just 58.5 points per contest with an average margin of victory of 20.2. The Owls have also surpassed the century mark twice in six games at home this season.
Owls Off to Best Start in ASUN Play Since 2007-08
After a grueling non-conference slate that featured three games against Power-5 opponents, KSU has won eight of its past 11 games, including a 71-52 win at previously unbeaten in ASUN action Lipscomb and two wins over Jacksonville State. The 5-2 start under second-year coach, Octavia Blue is the best start for the Owls in the ASUN since the 2007-08 season. KSU is currently tied for fourth with Liberty in the ASUN standings. Kennesaw State has already matched last season's win totals in overall wins and conference wins.
Hitting the Boards
KSU's offensive rebounding has been a staple all season. The Owls lead the ASUN in offensive rebounds per game, with 13.2. Kennesaw State has pulled down at least 11 offensive rebounds in 13 of 18 games this season.
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 (1,511), assists (576), field goals made (556), field goals attempted (1,483), minutes played (4,702) and steals (237). Johnson's 5.1 assists per game rank third in the ASUN.
Owls Flying High
Kennesaw State is 8-3 over its last 11 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. The KSU defense has held opponents below 65 points in six straight games and held three of those opponents to 57 points or fewer. Kennesaw State is 5-0 this season when limiting opponents under 60 points.
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. The junior was equally efficient in a 65-60 win at Jacksonville State where she posted 19 points (16 in the second half and 10 in the third quarter), three steals, an assist and a rebound. Hooks leads the squad in steals (28) and blocks (12).
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 11 of the last 12 games and leads the Owls in scoring (13.9), rebounding (5.7), defensive rebounds (77), made field goals (93), field goals attempted (209), free throws made (50) free throws attempted (79) and three-point percentage (.455). The graduate senior ranks seventh in the ASUN in points per game (13.9) and 16th in rebounds (5.7).
Scouting North Alabama
A pair of 20-plus point performances, including a career-high 28 points at Pitt resulted in Hina Suzuki being named the ASUN Player of the Week. The 5-3 guard on the North Alabama women's basketball team takes home a weekly conference award for the first time in her career. For the week, Suzuki averaged 25 points, 6.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per game. She finished the week 17-of-31 from the floor with seven three-point baskets. Since the University of North Alabama made the jump to Division I athletics in the 2018-19 season, the UNA women's basketball program is tied for third in total ASUN wins. The Lions trail just FGCU (68) and Liberty (52) and are tied with Stetson with 37 conference wins. A record of 37-33 is good for the third best conference winning percentage in that time among teams who have played in a minimum of 3 seasons in the ASUN since 2018-19. With four blocked shots on Jan. 5, against Bellarmine, UNA forward Skyler Gill passed 113 blocks for her career. Her fourth block of the game put her at 115 career blocks, surpassing the previous record of 113 set by Brittany Panetti (2017-20). The sophomore from Wichita, Kan. owns program records for most blocks in a game (8) and in a season (76), setting both marks as a true freshman a year ago. She is currently tied for seventh in the nation at 2.7 blocks per-game and is 10th in the country with 48 total blocks.
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.
