KENNESAW, Ga. – Carly Hooks and Kennesaw State women's basketball came up clutch in the final seconds to earn a hard-fought 53-50 victory over FIU on Thursday night in the Convocation Center.
Keyarah Berry was the engine for the Owls all night long, coming up with huge rebounds and contested layups all night long. Berry ended the night with a double-double, leading the Owls with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Hooks also had a great night by scoring 14 for the Owls and scoring the game-winning layup.
The Owls (11-16, CUSA 6-10) earn their first win in their final three-game home stretch of the season and avenge their previous heartbreaker to the Panthers (10-16, CUSA 6-9).
First Half:
Keyarah Berry scored the first points for the Owls, which then got the offense rolling on an early 6-2 run. The FIU defense decided to press the Owls early, which led to multiple successful one-on-one scoring plays for the Owls.
Carly Hooks and Berry continued to attack the interior of the Panther defense, and both had a combined eight paint points in the first quarter. The Owls ended the first quarter with a 13-9 lead.
Berry would again score the first Owl points in the second quarter, with another contested layup in the paint. The Panthers had a hard time scoring against the Owl defense, as they were 5-of-17 (29%) on field goals and 2-for-9 (22%) from three midway through the second quarter. The Owls would hold the Panthers to a three-minute scoring drought, and the first media timeout in the second quarter had the Owls over the Panthers, 19-15.
Berry refused to be denied inside the paint, scoring back-to-back free throw attempts and giving the Owls an eight-point lead with three minutes left in the second. The Owls rank 25
th in the nation in perimeter defense, and they held the Panthers to 3-for-14 (21%) from three. Despite not lighting up the scoreboard, Berry was the engine of this Owl team in the first half by leading the team with eight points, five rebounds, a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line, and helping the Owls go into the third quarter with a 24-18 lead.
Second Half:
After being sidelined for most of the first half,
Prencis Harden finally got involved and scored the first Owl points in the third quarter. Berry soon returned to scoring action with another contested layup in the paint and followed it up with a block on the other end of the court. The Owls would lead 31-20 after the first media timeout in the second half and were starting to steal momentum away from the Panthers. However, FIU had other ideas and went on a 5-0 run midway through the third, bringing the Owl lead down to 31-25.
Berry continued to dominate for the Owls. With an athletic spin move, she navigated past two FIU defenders, made the contested layup, and completed a three-point play to slow down the Panthers' comeback attempt. The Panthers would earn their first lead of the night after going on a 10-0 run and the Owls going on a two-minute scoring drought. The Owls went into the fourth quarter down one in a tight 39-38 game.
Again, Berry scored first in the final quarter, and both teams fought to regain the lead. Harden and Berry spearheaded the offensive effort in the fourth, as both players accounted for all eight of the Owls' points six minutes into the final quarter. Both teams were tied 50-50 with only 20 seconds left, and the Owls grabbed a massive rebound from a missed Panther shot and called a timeout. Hooks would then crossover a Panther defender, make a contested layup, and complete the three-point play to give the Owl a 53-50 lead with eight seconds left. The Owl defense would contest the attempted tying three-point shot and avenge their heartbreaker to the Panthers. The Owls would win 53-50.
Game Notes:
- Keyarah Berry earned her third double-double of the season.
- The Owl's 25th nationally ranked perimeter defense held the Panthers to 4-of-22 (18%) from deep.
- The Owls held the lead for 30:55 compared to FIU's 5:36.
- The Owls nearly doubled the Panthers in free-throw points (11 to 6).
Multimedia:
Coach Blue Postgame Press Conference
Student-Athletes Press Conference (Carly Hooks, Keyarah Berry)
