KENNESAW, Ga.  – Kennesaw State women's basketball had a dominant afternoon in the paint, as four different Owls put up double-digit performances and earned an 84-70 victory over the UTEP Miners on Saturday afternoon inside the KSU Convocation Center.
 
Keyarah Berry led the way for the Owls (8-10, 3-4 CUSA) with her 20-point and 10 rebound performance, earning her second double-double of the season.
 
Harden earned another double-double, and this makes this her 12^th of the season. Other major Owl contributors included Carly Hooks, scoring 14 points, and Keiara Griffin, scoring 16. This was due to a heavy offensive game plan to attack the Miner interior, allowing the Owls to score 42 points in the paint on 46% shooting (31-67).
 
 
First Half:
 
The Owls got off to a back-and-forth offensive battle against the Miners, as both teams battled to take control of the game. Keiara Griffin scored the game's first points with a strong layup in the paint to set the tone offensively. Prencis Harden then got into a groove offensively in the middle of the first quarter, scoring six points and grabbing two rebounds with 4:55 left. After the first media timeout, the Owls played strong defense, going on a 13-0 run over four minutes and ending the first quarter with a 19-13 lead.
 
The Owls kept their foot on the gas sporting a fast-tempo offense and relentlessly attacking the paint. Berry then secured back-to-back free throws as the Owls continued to attack the Miner interior defense. The Owls also capitalized on rebounds, ripping 19 total rebounds, compared to the Miner's nine in the middle of the second quarter. Despite out-rebounding the Miners, UTEP gained momentum with a 7-0 run with 3:10 left in the second, as the Owls led 30-24. Carly Hooks then hit a corner three that helped spring some momentum back to the Owl offense. The second quarter was hard fought on both sides, as both offenses found scoring opportunities in the key. The Owls held a 35-32 lead going into halftime.
 
Second Half:
 
Kailyn Fields canned a three-pointer to get the Owls started in the third quarter but the Miners eventually took back the lead midway through the third, leading 40-38. The Owl defense decided to put the full-court press back on, which helped force a few Miner turnovers and slowed down the UTEP attack. Both teams kept going back and forth, with multiple lead changes, but with back-to-back Berry layups and Field's three-pointers, the Owls led 46-44 with four minutes left in the third. Berry was sent to the free throw line multiple times in the second half and was the motor for the KSU offense during the third quarter, scoring eight points, three rebounds and a steal. The Owls got back on track with a 12-2 third quarter run and ended the quarter leading 56-50.
 
Berry started hot in the fourth quarter, scoring the first points in the last quarter. This led to the Owls' offense to hum and they scored seven in a row, taking a 63-50 lead with 8:53 left in the game. The Miners drilled two three-pointers in a row while Hooks hit her third three-pointer to help keep the Owl's 10-point lead. The Owl defense clamped up and earned four steals late in the fourth quarter to help seal up their second win in a row and third Conference USA victory.
 
 
Game Notes:
 

• It's Keyarah Berry's fourth 20-point game of the 24-25 season.
• Four different Owls ended with double-digit points.
• This is Prencis Harden's 12^th double-double of the season
• This is the second win in a row for the Owls, and they look for their third straight versus Liberty Ja. 30 on the road.
• The Owls nearly doubled the Miner's points in the paint (42 to 26).
• The Owls held the lead for 33 minutes, compared to the Miners, who only had the lead for three minutes.

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