SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Four Owls scored in double figures but Kennesaw State women's basketball was unable to overcome a second-half momentum swing as it fell to Missouri State 67-61 on Thursday night at Great Southern Bank Arena.
First Half
Eight early turnovers hampered the Owl offense in the first quarter but five points from
Trynce Taylor and a late-quarter
Kailyn Fields' 3-pointer kept KSU within striking distance at 19-16. Fields picked up where she left off at the end of the first with another 3-pointer to spark the Owl offense and cut the Lady Bear lead to 20-19. The Fields' triple proved the first bucket of a 15-2 KSU run over five minutes of play.
Taylor hit a jumper and lay-in on consecutive possessions while
Kaelyn Flowers scored in transition and Fields added two straight triples for a 31-22 Owl lead. Moments later, KSU had a half-high 33-22 lead with
Shania Nichols notching a steal and
Keyarah Berry the ensuing transition bucket. Missouri State closed the half on a 5-0 run and KSU went to the break leading 33-27.
Second Half
The Owls extended their halftime lead to a game-high 12-point lead at 43-31 with 6:22 to play in the third quarter. Berry scored on back-to-back possessions with a steal and fastbreak score followed by a driving lay-in. Flowers and
TaTianna Stovall both finished in the paint to push the KSU lead to 12.
The Lady Bears fought back to tie the game at 45 as they capitalized on five Owl turnovers for a 17-2 run. Taylor and Flowers knocked down shots late in the quarter, sending KSU and Missouri State to the fourth squared at 50.
The Lady Bears carried their momentum to a 61-52 lead with 4:18 remaining. Nichols scored four of the Owls' first six points of the quarter before adding a 3-pointer to bring KSU within two at 61-59 with 2:35 to play. A late turnover and offensive foul left the Owls empty-handed on two possessions with under a minute to play as the Lady Bears pulled away with five free throws in the closing seconds.
Game Notes
- The Owls out shot Missouri State 48-34% from the field and went 5-of-12 from three to the Lady Bears' 1-of-14.
- Free throw shooting and points off turnovers proved pivotal. Missouri State went 26-of-32 from the free throw line to KSU's 4-of-4. The Lady Bears also scored 29 points on 29 Owl turnovers.
- KSU falls to 6-1 this season when leading at the half.
- Four Owls scored in double figures with 12 points apiece credited to Fields, Taylor and Flowers while Berry added 10.
Head Coach Octavia Blue Postgame:
"This game really was about a momentum switch. We needed to respond back and that's not really what happened. We weren't able to respond. We were playing on someone else's home court where they had a great crowd. We have to be a little bit more mentally tough when a team makes a run at us at home. We have to be able to punch back and sustain that."
Next Time Out
KSU continues its road trip at FIU on Jan. 10. Watch KSU take on the Panthers on
ESPN+ at 1 p.m. EST on Saturday.
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.
