KENNESAW, Ga. - Kennesaw State women's basketball posted an impressive performance from beyond the arc Saturday afternoon but fell to Western Kentucky, 72-62, inside the KSU Convocation Center.

The Owls (5-9, 0-3 CUSA) shot a season-best 36.4% from three with eight made triples while holding the Lady Toppers (11-5, 2-2 CUSA) to just three made treys on 16% from distance.

Junior Lee Lee Willis entered off the bench and posted a career-high 19 points on 60% shooting with four rebounds. Senior Keyarah Berry tied her with 19 points of her own on top of eight rebounds and two steals.

They combined for 7-for-11 (63.6%) from three and 7-for-9 (77.8%) from the free throw line.

Keiara Griffin finished with 14 points and five rebounds while Carly Hooks led the squad with six assists. Reigning CUSA Player of the Week Prencis Harden was right behind her with five assists of her own.

Due to the impacts of inclement weather, the game was closed to the general public and moved up to 1:00 p.m.

FIRST HALF
A Berry jumper marked the first points for the Owls in the game. Western Kentucky managed a 9-4 advantage by the first media timeout. Willis broke through the WKU scoring run with a trey to cut the game to 15-7. An and-one play from Willis shortly after cut into the deficit further, 15-10. The Lady Toppers took a 17-10 lead after one.

The first points from either side in the second came with just over eight left on the clock courtesy of a Griffin free throw. On the next possession, she had an and-one play to get KSU within three, 17-14. Another three-point play - this one from Hooks - followed a WKU trey to make it 22-17. The Lady Toppers led 24-19 at the 4:34 media timeout but were held scoreless for the two minutes leading up to that and had not made any of their previous five shots. A Berry trey with just over three left in the half got the Owls down by only four, 28-24. Free throws from Willis made it a two-score game, 28-26, with over two minutes on the clock. Western Kentucky led 34-26 at the break.

Berry had five rebounds and had seven points. Willis' eight points led the team while Harden had a team-best six rebounds. 

SECOND HALF
A triple from Willis got the scoring started in the third and put KSU down by just five, 34-29. The Lady Toppers went on a short run that was ended by a Harden bucket with under three minutes left, making it 48-37 in favor of WKU. Sophia Rueppell sank a three with under a minute left to get the Owls to 40, trailing WKU 53-40 at the end of the third period. Griffin led the Owls with six third-quarter points.

Willis collected another three for the first KSU score of the final stanza to make it 55-43. Griffin sank two free throws to make it just a 10-point game, 55-45, with eight minutes left. Berry drained a bucket on a fastbreak to cut the deficit further to 55-47. Willis made another three to make it 58-52 - just a six-point advantage for WKU. A key turnover gave Kennesaw State the ball down 10 with four minutes left, 63-53. Berry then connected on a three-pointer to put KSU down by just seven, 63-56. A jumper from Willis then made it a six-point game, 65-59. KSU scored the final points on a three from Berry as WKU took the 72-62 win.

GAME NOTES

• Willis, Berry and Griffin entering double-digit point figures marks the first time three Owls have scored 10+ in a game since Dec. 8 at Chattanooga.
• Willis achieved career-highs in points (19), FG made (6) and three's made (4).
• In the KSU DI career record book, Harden moved into fifth in rebounds (583) and defensive rebounds (387) and eighth in offensive rebounds (195).
• She also recorded her CUSA-best ninth 10-rebound game of the season.
• Hooks moved into seventh in career assists on the KSU DI leaderboard (184).
• Saturday was the 45th time in her career that Harden had led the team in rebounds.

HEAD COACH OCTAVIA BLUE POSTGAME


UP NEXT
KSU begins a four-game road trip Thursday, Jan. 16 at Sam Houston. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

The Owls are back inside the KSU Convocation Center Thursday, Jan. 23 vs. New Mexico State at 7:00 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets here. Read Full Article