By: Joseph Hovey
Jax State (8-8, 2-2 CUSA) at Kennesaw State (8-7, 1-3 CUSA)
Kennesaw, GA | Vystar Arena | Saturday, Jan. 17 | 2 p.m. EST
KENNESAW, Ga. — Kennesaw State women's basketball plays its first of three straight home games when it faces Jax State on Saturday at Vystar Arena.
HOME SWEET HOME
After traveling a combined 2,516 air miles during last week's road trip at Missouri State and FIU, the Owls return to Kennesaw to play five of their next seven games at home beginning Saturday. KSU is 6-2 at home this season.
STANDINGS STATUS
After dropping games to the Lady Bears and Panthers a week ago, the Owls are now ninth in the CUSA standings while Jax State is tied for fifth at 2-2.
TURNOVER TROUBLE
In both losses last week, turnover trouble proved the culprit as KSU lost leads and momentum, including a game-high 12-point lead at Missouri State. The Owls gave up 29 turnovers, resulting in 29 opponent points in each game.
"We need to make sure we take care of the ball if we want to have an opportunity to win," KSU head coach
Octavia Blue said following Saturday's game. "That's one of our keys to success."
The Owls now rank ninth in CUSA with 19.6 turnovers per game.
OWL OFFENSE
Despite turnovers piling up at Missouri State and FIU, both games were within one possession with under three minutes to play. KSU outshot both the Lady Bears and Panthers and enters the week still atop CUSA rankings and top 50 nationally in field goal (45.1) and 3-point percentage (36.5). Fastbreak and paint scoring are key to the success of the Owl offense. KSU has outscored opponents in the fastbreak in 10 of 15 games, including five straight, for a score differential of +79 on the season. While outscored in the paint twice a week ago, the Owls remain +122 in season paint points.
FIELDS' STEALS
KSU has also proven capable of taking the ball away on defense. The Owls rank fourth in CUSA with 19.7 forced turnovers per game.
Kailyn Fields and
Keyarah Berry combined for 11 steals between the Missouri State and FIU games, with Fields notching a new career-high six against the Panthers. Berry's five-steal game at Missouri State is her 14th career outing with three or more takeaways.
STOVALL'S WALL
Freshman forward
TaTianna Stovall recorded five blocks at FIU on Jan. 10 to become the only CUSA player with two games of five or more denials this season. Stovall's 1.4 blocks per game is third in CUSA. With Stovall and teammates
Latazia Williamson and
Trynce Taylor in the frontcourt, the Owls are allowing a league-best 31.3 opponent rebounds per outing.
KB'S "MONSTER GAME"
Despite the 76-65 loss at FIU on Jan. 10, Berry or "KB," recorded her best performance as an Owl to date with career-highs in points (27) and field goals made (11).
"A monster game by
Keyarah Berry," Blue said of Berry's performance. "She put her team on her back at moments, and they kept feeding her."
Berry's 27 points were not only a career high, but the second-most individual points scored in a CUSA game last week and sixth-most scored this season. The FIU game marked Berry's sixth time leading the Owls in scoring this season and 19th such game of her career. Berry has scored in double figures in 13 of the season's 15 games and 42 times over four years at KSU. With three games of 20-plus points scored in 2025-26, Berry now has 10 games of 20-plus in her career. Berry enters the Jax State game ranked top 5 in CUSA in field goal percentage (47.8) and field goals made (89).
KB'S CLIMB
With her performance against the Panthers, Berry climbed to ninth at KSU in Division I-era (2005-pres.) career scoring and field goals made with 904 points and 336 field goals, respectively. The Rockmart, Georgia native is two field goals shy of surpassing Jah'Che Whitfield (2020-23) for eighth in DI-era career field goals made.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's matchup is the 27th all-time between KSU and Jax State, with the first coming in an 84-70 Gamecock win on December 1, 1990. While Jax State leads the series 14-12, the Owls have won four of the last five and are 8-4 all-time against the Gamecocks in Kennesaw. KSU split the two meetings a season ago with a 68-56 loss in Jacksonville on January 4, 2025, and a 63-55 win on March 8 in the regular season finale at home. The Owls used a 24-11 fourth quarter to pull away from the Gamecocks late on Senior Day as Berry recorded 12 points and six rebounds on 5-of-9 shooting.
KNOW THE FOE
Thirteenth-year head coach Rick Pietri leads Jax State into Vystar Arena on Saturday at 8-8 and 2-2 in CUSA play. The Gamecocks were picked 12th in the CUSA preseason poll and are led by a Preseason All-CUSA selection in forward Mya Barnes' 11 points and eight rebounds per game. Jax State split its games a week ago, with a 70-67 win at FIU on Jan. 8 and a 63-47 loss at Missouri State on Jan. 10.
PURCHASE TICKETS
Season and single-game tickets are available for the 2025-26 Kennesaw State women's basketball campaign. Click
here to secure your seat inside VyStar Arena and don't miss a second of the action!
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.
