JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Senior
Carly Hooks scored a career-best 37 points and surpassed 1,000 in her collegiate career Saturday afternoon as Kennesaw State (10-18, 6-9 Atlantic Sun Conference) dropped a hard-fought double-overtime game to North Florida (9-19, 3-11 ASUN), 91-84 inside UNF Arena
Her outing marked the most points scored by an Owl under head coach
Octavia Blue and the most by any Owl since March 7, 2020.
"Carly played her heart out today. It was a back and forth game throughout," Blue said. "I saw the look in her eyes heading down the stretch. She knew it was her time to take over. She played determined and refused to be denied. Unfortunately, came up short in a hard fought game versus a resilient UNF team."
She also set new single-game career highs in made field goals (12 - another best by a single Owl in the Blue Era) and made free throws (9). The Atlanta native had 30 points combined in the fourth and both overtime periods.
"Scoring 1,000 points in your collegiate career is an amazing feat," Blue added of Hooks' achievement. "I am happy and proud of Carly's accomplishments."
Junior forward
Prencis Harden followed behind her fellow captain with her conference-leading ninth double-double of the season. KSU leads the ASUN with 13.
The Swainsboro, Ga. native had 12 points and 12 rebounds Saturday.
Keyerah Berry joined the duo in double figures with 10 points while
Morgan Dillard led the team with three steals.
"I thought that Mo Dillard gave us great minutes off the bench today both scoring and offensive rebounding," Blue said of the junior.
Saturday's match was KSU's first overtime contest since Jan. 26, 2023 and first double-OT match since Feb. 6, 2016.
"It was a hard fought game," Blue explained. "Shooters made shots and players made plays. We weren't able to make enough plays and get the key stops needed to get the win on the road."
Trynce Taylor scored the first points of the contest on an assist from Hooks. UNF missed each of its first three shots.
After leading the squad in points Thursday at JU, Berry picked up where she left off and scored four of the first six KSU points.
North Florida took a short 10-8 advantage that was succeeded by a Berry trey, 11-10.
The junior led KSU through the opening 10 with seven points, helping the Owls to a 16-14 advantage.
North Florida drove down the quarter up three in the first half of the second quarter but its possession was derailed by a block from Harden.
Midway through the period, UNF reached leads of 23-20 and 26-23 that were evened by back-to-back three's from
Laura Toffali.
The Ospreys led 29-28 at the halfway point.
Kennesaw State opened the second half with a three from Berry to give her 10 on the afternoon - her third straight game in double digits.
UNF took a 42-34 lead but Hooks answered with a trey to put the Owls back within five.
A run from KSU got the Black and Gold within one with under two left in the third, 44-43. UNF led 49-43 going into the fourth.
Hooks drained a three to open the fourth and followed it with an and-one and another bucket to put KSU in front, 51-50.
She scored the first 10 points for KSU in the fourth. Her 1,000th point came courtesy of a trey that put KSU back in front, 56-54.
The Ospreys and Hooks went back-and-forth exchanging points, giving KSU a 65-64 lead with 1:17 left.
UNF attempted a go-ahead shot with 0:18.4 remaining but committed a shot-clock violation, giving the ball back to Kennesaw State. A Hooks free throw then extended the Owl lead to 66-64 with 0:15.5 left. UNF hit an equalizing bucket to even the score at 66 with 0:10.5 on the clock.
Neither team managed a bucket before regulation ended.
A pair of Dillard free throws marked the first points in the additional period, 68-66.
Tied at 68,
Taylor Cullinan drilled a three to give the Owls a 71-68 push.
"
Taylor Cullinan has been a really good spark for us as well," Blue added of No. 45. "Tay hit a big three to take the lead in OT and played tough defense on UNF's center Emma Broermann who had been hurting us in the paint."
The two squads battled in the last minute of the first OT frame but UNF hit a trey to send the game to a second OT, 75-75. The Ospreys took the lead in that frame and took the 91-84 win.
KSU's final regular season contest is set for Saturday, March 2 against Queens at 2:00 p.m. It will mark the Owls' final regular season game as a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference before moving to Conference USA on July 1.
"We have got to bounce back," Blue said. "We will watch film, get in the gym & do the work to get better. We fought hard & battled today, however we must learn how to close games."
The Owls open their 2024 ASUN tournament run Friday, March 8. Opponent and seeding are to-be-determined.
