By: Zac Pike
Kennesaw State (4-8), (0-1)
vs. Austin Peay (6-5), (1-0)
Location: Kennesaw, Ga. | KSU Convocation Center
Date: Jan. 5
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
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KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State women's basketball returns home to take on Austin Peay in the ASUN Conference home opener at the KSU Convocation Center Thursday at 7 p.m.
The Owls have been strong at home this season, posting a 3-1 record, including a dominant 109-53 win over Coastal Georgia the last time KSU played on its home court.
The two programs have met four times, with both teams boasting two wins each in the series. Austin Peay was victorious the last time out, earning a 68-49 victory at home on Dec. 14, 2016.
Jah'Che Whitfield anchors the KSU offense, averaging 14.1 points per game and has scored in double-figures in six straight games.
Amani Johnson is third on the team in scoring, averaging 9.1 points and a team-best 5.5 assists.
Lyndsey Whilby averages 9.8 points per game, 4.7 rebounds and leads the Owls with 21 three-pointers on the season.
Whitfield Posts Career-High and First Double-Double of Season at EKU
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 15 points in six straight games and leads the Owls in scoring (14.1), rebounding (5.1), made field goals (64), field goals attempted (133), made free throws (30), free throws attempted (48) and steals (19).
KSU and Amani 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.
Owls Take Down Furman For First Road Win
Kennesaw State knocked off Furman 75-69 on the road for its first road win of the season at Timmons Arena.
Amani Johnson,
Jah'Che Whitfield and
Carly Hooks combined for 46 points as the Owls earned their first road victory of the season. Johnson finished with a team-high 17 points, Whitfield chipped in 15 and Hooks finished with 14. Hooks was particularly effective in the second half, scoring 12 of her 14 points over the final 20 minutes of action. KSU dominated the paint and in transition, outscoring Furman 38-22 and 13-2 on fast break points.
KSU Knocks Off Georgia State for Third Time in Program History
Second-year head coach Octavia Blue and the Owls earned a huge 69-63 win over Georgia State for its third win against the Panthers in program history. In the season opener, the Owls hit the century mark for the second time in KSU DI history on Nov. 7, in a 100-57 win over Middle Georgia State. The Owls knocked down 11 three-pointers, tied for the fourth-highest total in school history and grabbed 61 rebounds in the win, the second-highest in KSU history.
Hooks Sets Career-High at FIU
Carly Hooks finished with 15 points, five rebounds, a team-best three steals and two blocks at FIU, including a career-high 5 three-pointers. The Atlanta, Ga. native was the first Owl to knock down at least five triples in a game since
Amani Johnson (7-for-7) and
Gillian Piccolino (6-for-9) on Jan. 24, 2021, against North Florida.
Jah'Che Whitfield scored a career-high 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting at FIU Sunday.
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.
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.
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.
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 Austin Peay
Yamia Johnson led an APSU offense that shot 60.6 percent from the field – its highest in the digital record-keeping era –with 15 points. Johnson leads the Govs with 12.7 points per game this season. Mariah Adams led the Govs with five assists against the Royals, the eighth time the graduate student has led the team in assists this season. The Govs have won 21-straight games and 25 of their last 26 when holding opponents to under 50 points. The Govs have done such three times this season and nine times in two seasons under head coach Brittany Young. APSU also has won 21-straight games and 33 of its last 35 when scoring at least 70 points. Austin Peay has made a three-pointer in 478-straight games dating back to a Dec. 21, 2006, game against Evansville. The Govs are third in the ASUN and 41st nationally in allowing opponents to convert just 26.5 percent from three-point range this season. Austin Peay has won five of its last six games when outscoring opponents in the paint. The Govs lead the ASUN and rank 41st nationally with a .762 free-throw percentage.
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.
