HUNTSVILLE, Texas – Kennesaw State women's basketball earned its first Conference USA victory in program history Thursday evening, winning over Sam Houston, 85-73, inside the Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.
 
The Owls (6-9, 1-3 CUSA) shot over 50% from the field (52.5%) and held off a late comeback attempt from the Sam Houston Bearkats (7-8, 0-5 CUSA) as they pushed the Owls into overtime.
 
Senior Prencis Harden led the Owls with 26 points and 16 rebounds. Senior Keyarah Berry had another great game, scoring 18 points, grabbing four rebounds and collecting three steals.
 
Graduate Keiara Griffin also found herself in double digits, scoring 13 points and shooting a perfect 5-5 from the free throw line.
 
"This feels amazing," coach Octavia Blue said. "Obviously when you're in a new conference you want to establish yourself as a contender and we need to continue to build this program and the players around it to put ourselves in a position to compete for a championship. It was a great time for us to showcase our talent because not only did we get our first CUSA win, but we also got it on the road which isn't easy to do."
 
First Half
 
The Owls started off slowly in the first quarter, facing an 8-0 deficit in the opening minutes, but they eventually found some momentum thanks to Prencis Harden's continued dominant performances. Keiara Griffin got KSU on track by making both free throws, which seemed to light a spark under the Owl offense.
 
Sam Houston and KSU faced foul trouble in the first quarter with the Owls committing eight fouls and the Bearkats racking up seven by the end of the first stanza. Despite the Owl fouls, the Bearkats struggled at the free-throw line, going 7-15, while the Owls made their shots count and went 5-6 from the charity stripe. Harden helped the Owls go on a scorching 26-7 run against the Bearkats, scoring nine points, seven rebounds, and a 28-18 lead.
 
Carley Hooks made her presence known in the second quarter, scoring four points, grabbing three rebounds, providing two assists, and a steal. Harden continued playing hard in the paint, earning seven more points and three more points off free throws. The second quarter was more of the same, back-and-forth, but the Owl defense was strong and held the Bearkat offense scoreless for four minutes with three minutes left until the half.
 
Harden led the Owls into the break with a 43-34 lead at halftime with 16 points and eight rebounds. Hooks had the team-best six assists and six points.
 
Second Half
 
The Bearkats stormed back on offense with a 7-0 run and would not let up on defense, sporting a 10-2 run against the Owls until 4:02 in the third quarter. Sam Houston did its best to shut down Harden, as she only scored once in the third quarter, and that is where Keyarah Berry came in to help keep the Owls on top, scoring six. Fouls and turnovers continued to follow the Owls in the third quarter as KSU totaled up to 23 fouls and 26 turnovers at that point, but the Owls maintained a 55-50 lead going into the fourth quarter.
 
Berry continued to pressure Sam Houston, scoring the first four fourth-quarter points with back-to-back contested layups. Keiara Griffin decided it was her turn to go on a run by scoring seven points in a row for the Owls and becoming the third Owl to score double digits on the night. Back-to-back Owl turnovers brought the game within reach for the Bearkats, as the Owls held onto a 2-point lead with 2:45 left in the fourth quarter. Due to key Owl mistakes from turnovers and fouls, the Bearkats went on a 9-0 run and tied the game 68-68 with 55 seconds left in the game. Harden drove to the paint and drew a critical foul with five seconds left, making two clutch free throws, giving the Owls a 70-68 lead with five seconds left. Despite the Bearkats going 24-42 from the free throw line, Nyla Inmon would also complete two clutch free throws and send the game into overtime.
 
Overtime
 
Harden scored her 24^th point and scored the first point for the Owls in overtime. Hooks then completed her first three of the night with 3:29 left in overtime to help give the Owls a 75-72 lead. The Owls would never surrender the lead again after the hooks three. Harden continued to battle in the paint and scored again with a contested layup. She then forced a jump ball on the ensuing Bearkat possession and secured possession for the Owls. Griffin knocked down her free throws after being fouled in the paint and helped increase the Owl lead to 79-72. The Owl defense continued to keep the Bearkat offense at bay and secured their first Conference USA victory in program history. The Owls leave the Lone Star state with an 85-73 victory.
 
"We have been talking about the lessons we have learned along the way and that included playing hard and gritty which we had to do tonight. Sam Houston fought hard and took us to overtime and we were able to put our foot on the gas and pull away with it. Overall, really proud of the team. We had to put a lot of bodies out there due to foul trouble and Lee Lee also stepped up big and hit some key free throws," Blue said.
 
Game Notes
 

• This is the first Conference USA victory for the Kennesaw State women's basketball team.
• Prencis Harden earned her ninth double-double on the season.
• Three different Owls ended the game with double-digit points
• Harden tied the all-time Conference USA record for most rebounds in a game (16)

UP NEXT
KSU remains on the road for a 4 PM ET battle versus La. Tech 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.