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MOBILE, Ala. – Kennesaw State women's basketball fell to South Alabama on the road, 66-54, in its first-ever matchup against the Jaguars.
Keyarah Berry led all players with a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double. She also added two steals and two blocks.
TaTianna Stovall had her best game as an Owl, scoring 10 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting in 25 minutes played.
First Half
Latazia Williamson started the game on an individual 4-0 run, scoring on KSU's first two possessions. After a 6-5 start, the defenses took over.
South Alabama scored its 13
th point with 2:51 left in the first. The Owls would shut down the Jaguars for the remainder of the quarter, leading 16-13.
The Black and Gold were scoreless in the first four minutes of the second quarter as the Jaguars went back up. Berry broke the scoring drought, added six points in the quarter altogether.
Both teams went back and forth with South Alabama taking a two-point lead with 18 seconds left in the half. On the final possession,
Kailyn Fields got to the paint and sank the floater.
Second Half
The Jaguars took command in the third quarter, outscoring the Owls 28-16. After the Owls scored the first basket, South Alabama went on a 10-0 run, capitalizing on KSU's mistakes.
The Black and Gold stopped the bleeding and brought it within two possessions, but as soon as that happened, South Alabama retook their double-digit lead.
In the fourth quarter, the Owls slowed down the Jaguars, holding them to 10 points.
Trynce Taylor scored to make it a six-point game with six minutes left. KSU wouldn't score again until 1:47, and by then, the lead was too insurmountable.
Game Notes
Keyarah Berry led all players with 19 points and 10 rebounds. It's her fourth career double-double and first since FIU on Feb. 27, 2025. She also tied her career high with two blocks.
TaTianna Stovall had the best game in her early Owl career. The freshman played 25 minutes off the bench, scoring 10 points without a miss.
Head Coach Octavia Blue Postgame:
"Keyarah's worked really hard to get to where she is right now. Being the go-to player is obviously a new role for her but she's been steady dating back to last season. You could see then what she could do on a consistent basis and now she's leveled up this season."
"TaTianna is a talented freshmen who won four state titles in high school. She comes from winning, she knows what winning looks like. She did a great job tonight on the offensive glass, getting some putbacks. Her game is still in the early stages but her work ethic is there."
"We understood with South Alabama that their record last year isn't indicative of how good they are. They're just like us in that they have a very new team. They're fourth in the country in made three's so we had to defend the three ball. Through two quarters, it was a back-and-forth battle. It was the third quarter that made a difference in the game. We can out slow and had some missed defensive assignments. That's where the game got away from us. In the fourth, we battled back but at that time we've dug ourselves in too deep of a hole."
Next Time Out
The Black and Gold will return home to host USC Upstate on Friday. The game is scheduled for 7:00 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.
