EL PASO, Texas – Prencis Harden had an unstoppable third quarter and a career night against UTEP, helping Kennesaw State women's basketball soar over the Miners, 68-56, in the Don Haskins Center on Thursday night.
The Owls (10-15, 5-9 CUSA) were led by Harden, who scored a career-high 39 points against the Miners, eclipsing the 1,000-point career milestone in the first half. Harden then continued to make her mark on the game when the Owls needed it most, as she scored all 20 of the Owl points in the third quarter.
UTEP (9-14, 2-11 CUSA) battled back and forth with the Owls, but Harden ended the Miner comeback attempt once she got hot in the second half. The Owl defense was also suffocating, forcing multiple scoring droughts, including just a seven-point third quarter, helping KSU eventually pull away for good.
First Half:
Kailyn Fields hit a corner three to start the scoring for the Owls with 7:36 in the first quarter.
Prencis Harden and the Owl offense was consistent, scoring five of their seven field goals after scoring their first points and holding an 11-9 lead at the first media break.
The Miner offense was also very consistent. They scored five field goals in a row to counter the Owl offensive run. The Owl defense would lock in after that Miner run and would not allow the Miners to score any points for over three minutes and hold the Miners to 0-8 shooting. The Owls would go into the second quarter with a 17-14 lead.
Harden would secure her 1000
th-career point after successfully making both free throws and would score the first Owl points in the second quarter. Fields then made her second three-pointer with 6:30 left in the second, and both teams would continue to battle for the lead.
Harden did not let her scoring accomplishment slow her down. With 4:51 left in the second, she had 13 points. In the first half, Harden also did a great job drawing fouls in the paint and went 5-for-6 from the free-throw line. The Owl defense did a great job of creating turnovers and turning them into points, as the Owls had nine points off nine Miner turnovers, compared to the Miner's two points off four Owl turnovers.
The Owls would go on a three-minute scoring drought near the end of the second quarter and allowed the Miners to retake the lead. The Owls would trail the Miners going into the second half 31-29.
Second Half:
Harden would personally go on a 4-0 run for the Owls to open the third quarter. The Miners would call a media timeout after Harden scored her 25
th point and singlehandedly had all 10 Owl points in the third quarter at the 4:27 mark in the third quarter. The Owl defense stepped up yet again, holding the Miners to another four-plus minute scoring drought and an 8-0 Owl offensive run.
Having multiple offensive fouls, the Miners could not get out of their own way and allowed Harden and the Owls to secure a 44-36 Owl lead with three minutes left in the third. Harden completely took over the third quarter for the Owls and scored all 20 third-quarter points. She also earned her 14
th double-double of the season and gave the Owls a 49-38 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Lee Lee Willis decided it was her turn to score for the Owls and earned the first fourth-quarter points for the Owls. The Miners would go on an early 7-0 run in the fourth and shrink the Owl lead to 51-45. The Owls offense would go on a two-minute-plus drought, and Harden was held scoreless in the fourth quarter until 3:43 left in the game.
The Owls would play consistent offense and defense to help earn their second win over the Miners this season, 68-56.
Game Notes:
- Harden secured her 1000th career point and career high in points (39).
- Harden earned her 14th double-double of the season.
- Harden scored every Owl point in the third quarter (20).
- The Owls more than doubled the Miners in points off turnovers 23-8.
- KSU outscored the Miners in the paint 32-22.
- Harden scored 39 of the 68 Owl points.
- Harden earned a new season high in free throws made (13).
Up Next:
The Owls stay out west when they travel to New Mexico State on Saturday, Feb. 22. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Head Coach Octavia Blue Postgame:
"It was obviously a hard-fought game. It's always great to have an opportunity to get a win on the road. This league is tough night in and night out, you have to be prepared, and I was glad with how the ladies responded. It was a back-and-forth game for most of the night but then in the third quarter, we really made a statement with our defensive effort, scoring 20 points and holding them to seven."
"It was a great night for Prencis. I don't know that we pull this game out without her efforts tonight. But you just talk about her entire body of work – this is a player that came into the program as a freshman and worked her way to the status that she is now so I'm super proud of her. It was just a monster night – 39 points and just owning the paint and having the opportunity to score at will tonight. So we're happy tonight, excited and proud of her, and we look forward to her continuing to provide what she has for us all season long."
Multimedia:
Coach Blue Postgame Interview (ESPN+)
Prencis Harden Postgame Interview (ESPN)
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