By: Joseph Hovey
WKU (4-8, 0-1 CUSA) at Kennesaw State (7-5, 0-1 CUSA)
Kennesaw, GA | VyStar Arena | Sunday, Jan. 4 | 2 p.m.
KENNESAW, Ga. — Kennesaw State women's basketball looks to bounce back from a Friday night defeat and secure its first Conference USA win of the season against Western Kentucky on Sunday. Tip-off is schedule for 2 p.m. at Vystar Arena.
GIRL DAD GAME
Join Owl Nation in celebrating Girl Dads on Sunday. The first 400 fans through the door will score an exclusive KSU stein.
Click here for buy-one-get-one tickets.
THE MATCHUP
Sunday's game features two teams closely matched in several statistical categories. Both KSU and WKU are tied for the second-best shooting defense in CUSA with their opponents held to 38.2% from the field. The Owls hold a narrow 36.5-34.8 rebound advantage while the Lady Toppers' 65.1% from the free throw line edges KSU's 63.9.
The matchup pits the CUSA's top two rim protection teams with WKU averaging a league-leading 5.3 blocks per game to the Owls' 3.9.
In a closely contested game, turnovers and 3-point shooting may prove pivotal. KSU and WKU average 18.1 and 19.8 turnovers per game, respectively, but it's the Owls who hold an advantage in turnover margin (+0.83 to -2.75) and assist-to-turnover ratio (0.65-0.57). KSU leads CUSA in 3-point percentage at 35.4 while the Lady Toppers rank second-to-last in the league from three at 27.6% and last in 3-point defense at 31%.
BENCH PRODUCTION
Despite averaging 15.6 points per game, the Owls bench scored a season-low two points on Friday versus Middle Tennessee. Five of KSU's seven wins have come when its bench scores 12 or more points.
THE NICHOLS FACTOR
In Friday's defeat, the Owls lost their first game of the season when shooting a higher 3-point percentage than their opponent. Junior guard
Shania Nichols has proven a key factor in KSU's 3-point offense.
Nichols has come off the bench in seven of 11 games played, averaging 10.4 points and shooting 46% from the floor and 51.2% from beyond the arc. That mark ranks third in the country. Nichols went 0-of-4 from the field versus the Blue Raiders. When Nichols hits at least two 3-pointers or scores in double figures, the Owls are 4-1 on the season with the lone loss coming at Alabama.
SEEKING FASTER STARTS
KSU found itself down 17-8 at first quarter's end on Friday and has been outscored in the opening period in five of 12 games. The Owls hit their stride throughout the rest of the game as they're outscoring opponents by over 20 combined points in each of the next three periods, including a margin of +45 in the second. KSU is 1-4 when trailing after the first quarter and 0-4 when trailing at the half.
TACKLING TURNOVERS
Head coach
Octavia Blue knows that tackling turnover trouble will be key to fixing slow starts. "We need to be more patient running our sets and secure the ball," Blue said following Friday's game. "We need to not be anxious and wait for players to get open so we can execute the offense." Fifteen of 20 turnovers versus MTSU occurred in the first half, resulting in 14 Blue Raider points.
BERRY'S 100TH
Keyarah Berry plays in her 100
th career game at KSU on Sunday. The graduate student from Rockmart, Ga. is also five games from surpassing Gabi Legister (2019-23) for 10
th at KSU in Division I career games played. Berry's team-leading 14.5 points per game ranks fifth in the CUSA while her 74 field goals made are the second-most among all league players.
SERIES HISTORY
The Owls and Lady Toppers have met just two times, both in 2024-25, during KSU's inaugural CUSA campaign. WKU won both meetings, with a 72-62 final score in Kennesaw on Jan. 11, 2025 and a 78-57 victory in Bowling Green, Ky. on Feb. 6, 2025.
KNOW THE FOE
WKU travels to Kennesaw following a 75-48 defeat to Jax State in its CUSA opener. At 4-8, the Lady Toppers' wins include Wichita State, Southern Illinois and North Dakota. Head coach Greg Collins is in his eighth season at the helm in Bowling Green. The Lady Toppers are led by guard Torri James' 9.3 points per game and 53.8 field goal percentage.
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.
