KENNESAW, Ga. - Kennesaw State (6-9, 2-0 Atlantic Sun Conference) acquired its first 2-0 start in conference play since 2015-16 in a 52-43 victory over the North Florida Ospreys (6-11, 0-3 ASUN) Thursday night inside the KSU Convocation Center.
The win gave the Owls their fourth 2-0 start to the home ASUN schedule in program history and the first time in back-to-back seasons.
Head coach
Octavia Blue earned the 300th victory of her coaching career (as both assistant and head coach) and became the fastest KSU women's basketball head coach to 30 Division I victories, beating the previous mark by five games.
Against Queens on Saturday, she became the fastest KSU women's basketball head coach to 20 Division I home victories.
Junior
Prencis Harden posted 21 points for her eighth-consecutive double-digit-scoring game and 10th in the last 11.It was the 17th-such game of her KSU career.
Kennesaw State is now 3-1 this season when the Swainsboro, Ga. native scores 20 or more.
Senior
Kyndall Golden collected three more blocks Thursday, extending her ASUN Conference-leading total to 30.
KSU out-shot the Ospreys 35% to 30% in the contest.
Harden scored the first points for Kennesaw State after the Ospreys struck first on a layup. She had the first four KSU points of the evening.
Keyarah Berry drained her seventh three-pointer of the season to put the Owls in front, 9-7.
A defensive opening quarter saw an even score of 9-9 after Harden blocked a potential go-ahead UNF shot with 0:00.4 remaining.
After a similar second period,
Carly Hooks propelled KSU to a 21-18 lead at the halfway mark after a highlight-worthy layup.
The Owls shot 46.2% in the second quarter to the Ospreys' 23.1%. Kennesaw State held UNF to 9.1% from beyond the arc in the first half. There were five lead changes in the highly-contested first 20 minutes.
Freshman
Kailyn Fields scored the first second-half points for KSU to give the Owls their largest lead up to that point, 23-18.
Morgan Dillard delivered a layup on an assist from Fields that extended KSU's lead to 26-19. KSU took a 30-23 advantage to the final frame.
Harden opened the fourth with a layup to collect her 10th point of the contest. She had 13 points in the fourth.
The Owl offense surged in the final 10, tallying 12 points in less than five minutes to match the game's previous single-quarter-high from the second quarter.
UNF got within nine points of the Owls, 45-36, but were sent away by a three from
Laura Toffali - her sixth of 2023-24.
The Black and Gold had 22 total points in the frame and were not fazed by a late UNF rally to soar to a 52-43 victory.
The Owls return to the court Saturday, Jan. 13 for a 2:00 p.m. tip-off against the Jacksonville Dolphins on ESPN+.
A victory over the Dolphins would give Kennesaw State its first 3-0 start to Atlantic Sun Conference play in program history.
Fans can purchase tickets
here.
