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KENNESAW, Ga. – For the third straight game, Kennesaw State women's basketball was involved in a one possession contest, defeating Tennessee Tech, 61-60, at home.
Trynce Taylor hit the game-winning shot with 18.9 seconds left to take down the undefeated Golden Eagles.
She finished with 17 points and a game-high nine boards.
Keyarah Berry had another 20-point performance, her ninth as an Owl.
At 3-1, the Black and Gold are off to their best start since the 2020-21 season
.
First Half
The defenses dictated pace earlier in the first quarter with neither team hitting the double-digit mark until 2:33. KSU went on a 6-0 in the final two minutes, orchestrated by Berry and Taylor.
The Owls carried their play into the second quarter, starting 5-of-5 from the field to extend their lead to eight. Berry finished the first half with 13 points.
TTU responded back, ending the half shooting 4-of-4 to knot the game at 33 all.
Second Half
The Owls' defense was suffocating in the third, holding the Golden Eagles to four made shots and forcing seven turnovers. KSU turned those mistakes into easy offense, leading by five after the third quarter.
The game looked like a comfortable victory as they forced a TTU timeout after going up 10 with under four minutes to go. The Golden Eagles showed their championship pedigree, erasing the deficit to retake the lead.
After a made three by Chloe Larry with 2:17 left, the score stood still as neither team made a basket for the next two minutes. Inbounding underneath the basket,
Kailyn Fields found Taylor in the paint, who finished through contact for the and one.
Reghan Grimes had a spinning layup at the rim, but her shot was too hard. She corralled her own miss and had another look.
TaTianna Stovall brought down the rebound and the Owls won 61-60.
Game Notes
The Owls held the Golden Eagles to a 30.4 field goal percentage. It's the third time this season KSU has held a team to under 40 percent from the field. Opponents are shooting 35.5% this season.
After missing the 2024-25 season,
Trynce Taylor has returned to form. In four games, she's averaging 10.5 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per game.
The Black and Gold have started their first four games with a 3-1 record. It's the best start under head coach
Octavia Blue and the team's best start since 2020-21.
Tennessee Tech made the 2025 NCAA Tournament after winning the Ohio Valley Conference. It's the second year in a row the Owls have defeated a reigning tournament team (Chattanooga - Dec. 8, 2024).
Head Coach Octavia Blue Postgame:
"Tennessee Tech is a very good program with multiple NCAA tournaments and conference champions a year ago. We understood what was coming into our homecourt today. Our ladies prepped as if they were playing a champion and showed what they can do from the defensive end. I was super excited to see how resilient we were down the stretch because that's a really good team"
Media
Coach Blue Postgame Interview
Trynce Taylor Postgame Interview
Next Time Out
The Black and Gold will be off all next week before heading down to South Alabama on November 25. The game is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.
The Owls Fund
The Owls Fund is the primary fundraising arm of Kennesaw State Athletics with the goal of supporting our student-athletes, coaches and each of our 18 NCAA Division I programs. Through initiatives such as Legacy Lockers, the Dot Martin Scholarship Golf Classic, sport-specific giving opportunities, general donations and season tickets, The Owls Fund connects fans with KSU's programs and student-athletes. Members receive exclusive benefits such as hospitality seating areas and events at Kennesaw State home games, and more. Join The Owls Fund here and discover more opportunities on how you can support Kennesaw State Athletics.
