Skip To Main Content

Kennesaw State University Athletics

Events and Results

Scoreboard

Elissa Windsor

KSU Seeks Fourth-Straight Win in DeLand Thursday

1/17/2024 2:00:00 PM

The Lead

 

DeLAND, Fla. - A pair of three-game winning streaks are on the line for the Kennesaw State Owls (7-9, 3-0 Atlantic Sun Conference) Thursday night against the Stetson Hatters (7-10, 2-1 ASUN) inside the J. Ollie Edmunds Center.

KSU has won each of its last three games this season and has defeated the Hatters in each of the last three games in DeLand. Another streak at stake for Kennesaw State is a five-game ASUN regular season win streak dating back to last season. Defeating the Hatters extends that mark to a program-record six-straight.

The Black and Gold are on a program-best 3-0 start to the ASUN schedule following wins over North Florida (52-43) last Thursday and Jacksonville (59-57) Saturday. Three-straight victories for the Owls tied the program-best under head coach Octavia Blue. KSU's last four-game win streak came in the 2019-20 season.

This is Kennesaw State's final season in the ASUN Conference before moving to Conference USA on July 1.

Game Info

 

Date: Thursday, Jan. 18 | Time: 7:00 p.m. ET | TV: ESPN+ | Arena: The J. Ollie Edmunds Center | KSU Game Notes | Live Stats

Junior forward Prencis Harden earned her second Atlantic Sun Player of the Week honor Tuesday following Kennesaw State's victories over North Florida (Jan. 11) and Jacksonville (Jan. 13) that gave the Owls their best ASUN start in program history at 3-0.

She tallied 31 points and 15 rebounds in the two contests, shooting 41.7% from the floor and 84.6% from the free throw line. 21 of her points came Thursday against North Florida. Also on Harden's weekly stat line were two assists, two blocks and two steals.

This season, she has tallied a career-high three games of 20-or-more points and 11 games of 10-or-more - which she has achieved in nine-consecutive games. She leads the Atlantic Sun with four double-doubles this season, a category Kennesaw State leads the conference in as a team with six.

The Swainsboro, Ga. native becomes the eighth Owl to win the ASUN Player of the Week award on multiple occasions, the fifth to do it in a single season and first since Alexis Poole in 2019-20. The honor is KSU's fifth this season, the most in a single campaign since 2019-20.

Game Notes

Laura Toffali
  • A win over the Hatters would give the Owls their most wins in a single season thru Jan. 18 since the 2019-20 campaign.
  • The Owls are also searching for their first two-game win streak over Stetson since 2007-08.
  • A win for Kennesaw State would be its ninth over Stetson in program history.
  • Harden enters Thursday tied for the ninth-most double-doubles in KSU Division I history (5).
  • KSU is 26-10 in the Blue Era when scoring 60 points or more.
  • The Owls began conference play with the highest average opponent NET ranking of any team in the ASUN (120), 24 spots ahead of the next-closest.
  • In the Blue Era, KSU is tied for the second-most Division I conference wins of any team in the state of Georgia (12) with Georgia Tech, trailing only Georgia Southern (13).
  • Stetson is 2-1 in ASUN play this season with its only loss coming to FGCU on Saturday.

Atlantic Sun Ranks

Carly Hooks
  • The Owls lead the ASUN in the following categories:
    • Double-doubles (6)
    • Blocked shots per game (3.94)
    • Offensive rebounds per game (14.69)
    • Offensive rebound percentage (38.7%)
    • Prencis Harden - double doubles (4)
    • Kyndall Golden - blocked shots (32)
  • KSU is top three in the ASUN in the following categories:
    • 2nd - blocked shots (63)
    • 3rd - scoring defense (59.38)
    • 3rd - rebounding defense (33.88)
    • 3rd - rebounding margin (+4.75)
    • Prencis Harden: 3rd - rebounding (7.53)
    • Prencis Harden: 3rd - free throw percentage (82.2%)

In Our Blue Era

Coach Blue Extension 2027
  • On Dec. 7, Blue signed a contract extension through the 2026-27 season with KSU.
  • She is the fastest coach in Kennesaw State women's basketball's DI history to 30 wins, shattering the previous mark by five games.
  • Since Blue took over in 2021-22, the Owls are tied for the second-most home conference wins of any DI women's basketball program in the state of Georgia with Georgia Tech (12) and behind only Georgia Southern (13).
  • Coach Blue reached 20 home wins on Jan. 6 vs. Queens, taking only 35 games to achieve the feat and passing the previous KSU women's basketball's DI record by four games.
  • She earned her 300th coaching victory (as assistant and head coach) on Thursday, Jan. 11 vs. North Florida.
  • The Black and Gold protected the Nest in 2022-23, accruing a 9-4 record inside the friendly confines of the KSU Convocation Center.
  • Last season, KSU WBB doubled its conference win total from five to 10, finishing with a 10-8 record in ASUN play.
  • In her first two seasons at the helm, Coach Blue has secured 24 wins, the second-most by a KSU coach in DI program history in their first two seasons.
  • Of the 14 Owls on the roster, seven are new to the Nest as freshmen or transfers, but for the first time as head coach, Blue's roster is 100% comprised of players brought in by one of her staffs.
  • The 2023-24 season marks the final year of competition for Kennesaw State in the Atlantic Sun Conference.
  • Effective July 1, 2024, the Owls will join NCAA Division I FBS and Conference USA. Click here for more info.

Related Videos