JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Senior Prencis Harden tallied her Conference USA-leading seventh double-double as Kennesaw State women's basketball fell to Jacksonville State Saturday afternoon, 68-56, inside the Pete Mathews Coliseum.

KSU (5-7, 0-1 CUSA) had a strong showing in its first CUSA league game in program history before the Gamecocks (7-5, 1-0 CUSA) played a resurgent fourth quarter to take the victory.

Harden had 12 points and 13 rebounds on top of three steals and two assists. She now has 18 career double-doubles - fifth-most in the Kennesaw State DI era.

Carly Hooks led the team with 14 points with six assists and four rebounds of her own. Morgan Dillard (9) and Kailyn Fields (8) followed behind the two seniors. Dillard led the squad with four steals. Jax State transfer Keiara Griffin had four steals and five points in her return to Jacksonville.


FIRST HALF
Berry collected the first points of the game on the opening possession, giving KSU a 2-0 lead in the first 10 seconds. Hooks had seven of the Owls' 11 first-quarter points but Jax State held a slim 15-11 advantage after the opening 10 minutes. Harden led the team with three rebounds.

Griffin opened the second quarter with two steals in the first minute while the Owl offense did not allow a JSU point until 6:24 left in the half. Dillard collected the first four points for the Owls and was quickly followed by a Harden layup, evening the game at 17 apiece. Jax State did not manage a field goal make until 5:52 left. After back-to-back treys from Fields, the Owls took a 24-21 advantage. Four points from Harden added to the Owl lead, now up to five at 28-23. Kennesaw State led 28-26 at the break.

Fields led the squad with eight points while Harden had six rebounds and three steals. Hooks had an efficient ledger of seven points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal.

SECOND HALF
JSU managed a couple free throws to even the game at 28 in the first 40 seconds. KSU's first points came moments later on a Griffin layup, putting the road team back in front, 30-28. KSU added eight points courtesy of free throws and layups from Dillard and Harden. The Owl defense forced a Jax State scoring drought of two-and-a-half minutes before JSU got back within one, 38-37, with 2:46 left in the third. More free throws from Hooks and Griffin extended the KSU lead to six, 43-37. JSU scored two baskets to get back within two, 43-41, to end the third.

Harden scored the first points of the fourth to get KSU up 45-41 before JSU drained a trey to make it a one-point game, 45-44. JSU retook the lead, 46-45, with just under eight minutes left. The Gamecocks went on a 14-0 before back-to-back buckets from Harden and Lee Lee Willis put the Owls back within six, 55-49, with just under four left. A Hooks trey got the Owls closer, 59-53, with 2:50 on the clock, Two free throws from Willis then made it a five-point game, 60-55, with just over a minute left. The home team held on for the 68-56 win.

GAME NOTES

• Jax State entered the day 20th in the nation in three's made per game (9.1) but the Owl defense only allowed five on 29.4% shooting from beyond the arc.
• Harden moved into fifth in KSU DI career free throws made (213).
• She also improved to 556 career rebounds (7th in KSU DI history).
• The game snapped a three-game win streak for KSU over Jax State.

HEAD COACH OCTAVIA BLUE POSTGAME
"We're in Conference USA now, it's conference play with very good coaches and very good players. It was just a game where we were leading for most of the second half and into the fourth and just a poor defensive effort giving up 27 points in that quarter was the difference in this game," - overall thoughts on the Owls' first CUSA game.

"We wanted to play the game the right way - share the ball and take what the defense was giving us. I don't think we shot a great percentage and in moments needed to share the ball and think next play ahead and that's just something we have to improve on if we want to have success in this league," - on the spread of point production Saturday. Five Owls finished between six and 14 points.

"We fought. We have to shoot the ball better, I think we generated a ton of open shots and we have to be able to hit them. The windows are going to be smaller with the size that we're going to see in this league and we just have to be ready when the ball is in our hands and be ready to knock it down," - on encouraging moments from the team in this game.

"We'll get in the gym this week and continue to improve to get better so we can compete at a high level and have the opportunity to win a big-time game at home against Middle Tennessee," - looking ahead to the Owls' next game Thursday, Jan. 9.

UP NEXT
The Black and Gold are back at the KSU Convocation Center Thursday, Jan. 9 to face 2024 CUSA Champion Middle Tennessee at 7:00 p.m. Fans can purchase tickets here.

Kennesaw State University students get free admission to all home KSU women's basketball games this season, click here for more info. Read Full Article