ATLANTA - A tenacious team effort from Kennesaw State (1-3) was not enough to topple unbeaten Georgia Tech (4-0), 77-38 Sunday inside McCamish Pavilion.
Freshman
Sophia Rueppell made her mark in the Owls' fourth game of the 2023-24 campaign, draining five three-pointers and accruing 17 points, leading KSU in both categories. Her 17 points shattered her previous career-high of three and is the most by an Owl this season. She was 6-for-10 from the floor.
"Sophie is a very confident player and she showed exactly what it is she does best: shoot the ball," head coach
Octavia Blue said. "I was happy to see her get in a rhythm and not hesitate to shoot whenever she was open."
Her five three's were the most by a KSU freshman since 2019-20.
Lee Lee Willis led the Black and Gold in assists (5), tying her career-high while freshman
Trynce Taylor secured the most boards with five, one shy of her career-high of six.
KSU edged Tech in offensive rebounds (14-9) and held the ACC foe to its lowest point total of the season.
"I saw us play with a lot of heart and hustle in spurts," Blue added. "We must continue to work hard to play that way consistently."
The Yellow Jackets got out to a 23-10 advantage after the first period, with eight of the Owls' 10 points coming from junior forward
Prencis Harden. She made four of her six shots in the opening frame.
Harden, the 2023-24 ASUN Fan-Voted Defensive Player of the Year, shot 50% from the floor Sunday.
KSU's offense caught fire in the second quarter behind two three-pointers from Rueppell inside the first two minutes of the period.
Lee Lee Willis posted three assists in the first quarter and tied her season-high of five in the second quarter, including assisting both of Rueppell's aforementioned treys.
Rueppell added another three-pointer to cut the halftime deficit to 36-25 with 45 seconds remaining, attributing to a key 7-0 run for the Black and Gold. The freshman tallied 11 points in the second.
Her three first-half three-pointers tied
Keyarah Berry for the most by an Owl in a full game this season.
"My staff and I were intentional about feeding the hot hand. We called for Sophie and she delivered," Blue said of Rueppell. "I thought her teammates did a great job of finding her as well."
Kennesaw State matched the Yellow Jackets' three-point shooting percentage in the first half at 38%. The Owls also tied Tech for rebounds and out-rebounded the unbeaten Yellow Jackets on offense (8-7).
The Owls kept pace with GT throughout the second quarter and was outscored by only one point, 16-15. KSU's 15 second-quarter points are the most Georgia Tech has allowed in that frame this year.
The Owls' leading scorers (Rueppell - 17 and Harden - 10, respectively) led off the second half picking up where they left off in the first half, scoring the first five points for KSU. Rueppell stayed consistent, draining yet another three-pointer.
Rueppell, a Jacksonville, Fla. native, tied
Carly Hooks (at Florida International - Dec. 4, 2022) for the most single-game three-pointers made by an Owl during Blue's tenure (5).
Harden's double-digit scoring figure was her first of the year and eighth of her Owl career.
KSU forced three Yellow Jacket turnovers in the final three minutes but Georgia Tech held strong and secured the win, 77-38.
The Black and Gold return to the KSU Convocation Center for a 2 p.m. matchup against Florida Atlantic on Saturday, Nov. 25, beginning a three-game homestand.
"Anytime we get a chance to play at home in the Convo is a plus. We love playing in front of our home crowd," Blue commented. "As for preparation for our next game, we will watch film, clean up a few things and be ready to get back on the court to compete."
Fans are encouraged to 'Leave the Leftovers' at home and enjoy a
$5 concessions ticket deal for Saturday's contest against the Owls. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Tickets are on sale for the 2023-24 KSU women's basketball season. Click
here to purchase season tickets!
