BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Kennesaw State women's basketball held on late to defeat WKU 55-51 as Keyarah Berry put on a defensive show with 17 points and seven steals on Thursday afternoon at E.A. Diddle Arena.

The Owls trailed 51-50 with 1:23 to go when Berry stepped into a passing lane and made WKU pay with a fastbreak score. On the Owls' next possession, Berry finished in the paint once more, giving KSU a 54-51 advantage with 36 seconds remaining. The Lady Toppers had a chance to tie in the final six seconds when Berry stepped in for the game-sealing steal.

Berry's seven-steal day accompanied her clearing the 1000-point mark for her KSU career.

First Half
Both teams battled through a back-and-forth first quarter, with neither leading by more than three. Keyarah Berry scored seven of the Owls' 16 points in the period. Berry put up five straight points to end the half with a driving lay-in and 3-pointer, giving KSU a 16-15 edge heading into the second.  

TaTianna Stovall drained a mid-range jumper to start the second quarter, while Shania Nichols followed moments later with a triple. KSU's defense made its presence felt as it forced five turnovers and held WKU 0-for-7 from the field over the last 5:30 of the half. Berry punctuated the defensive effort with a steal and fastbreak score to put the Owls up 25-24 at the break.

The Owls shot 37% from the field while holding the Lady Toppers to 32% in the first half. KSU outrebounded WKU 22-17 and scored 16 points on 10 WKU turnovers as well.

Second Half
KSU and WKU traded blows to a 31-31 tie when the Lady Toppers went on a 6-0 run over two minutes. The Owls then countered with a 7-0 run courtesy of a Kailyn Fields 3-pointer and points in the paint from Latazia Williamson and Trynce Taylor.

Down 42-38 to open the fourth, KSU fought back to tie the game at 44 with a reverse lay-in from Taylor and a Williamson put-back bucket.

Williamson and Berry took over the game late for the Owls, combining to score each of the final five field goals. KSU led 50-49 with four minutes to play after a Berry fastbreak bucket, along with a jumper and inside score from Williamson. The Owls trailed 51-50 with 1:23 to go when Berry stepped into a passing lane and made WKU pay with yet another fastbreak score. On the Owls' next possession, Berry finished in the paint once more, giving KSU a 54-51 advantage with 36 seconds remaining.

The Lady Toppers had a chance to tie in the final six seconds when Berry stepped in for the game-sealing steal.

Game Notes

• Berry led the Owls with 17 points, eight rebounds and seven steals, all after briefly exiting the game in the first quarter following a hard fall when fouled in transition. Her seven takeaways are a new Octavia Blue-era high at KSU and tied for the second-most in a CUSA game this season.
• Berry cleared the 1000-point mark for her career, finishing the day with 1,014 points in four seasons as an Owl. Thursday marked Berry's 48^th career double-figure scoring performance.
• Williamson came up big for KSU with 16 points on 7-of-8 from the field to go along with six rebounds.
• Thursday's win over WKU included seven ties and 12 lead changes. It is the Owls' fourth straight game decided by single digits and ninth this season. KSU is now 5-4 in these games, with the win in Bowling Green its first when trailing at the third quarter's end (38-42).
• The Owls shot 46% from the field while holding the Lady Toppers to 37%.
• Both teams scored 18 points off of 19 opponent turnovers.
• Rebounding and second-chance points were gamechangers for KSU. The Owls tallied 39 boards to WKU's 27, including a 12-6 advantage on the offensive glass. KSU also outscored the Lady Toppers 10-4 in second-chance points.  

Head Coach Octavia Blue Postgame

On earning the team's first Conference USA road win of the season
"We are at the point of the year where everyone is fighting for a berth into the conference tournament. We understand that every game is going to be possession-by-possession. I'm really excited about the win. WKU is, historically, a great women's basketball program. This is a huge win for Kennesaw State women's basketball. I'm really proud of our ladies for stepping up late in the game, especially Keyarah Berry with her heroics."

On Keyarah Berry's performance after a brief first-quarter injury exit
"Her performance, after that huge fall, really signifies who she has been for us. I think everyone gasped for breath when we saw her go down, but that's a tough kid. She wanted this road win for her team. She understands that every game is a fight trying to get to the CUSA Tournament. I'm really happy she was able to get that 1000^th point, a huge day for her."

On the team's rebounding performance
"It was a difference-maker. We've been talking to our squad about getting on the offensive glass a little bit better. Today, that was the difference in the game. Those second-chance opportunities allowed us to take this game on the road. Considering we shot pretty poorly from the free-throw line, we had to make it up in another statistical category, and we were able to do that."

Next Time Out
The Owls wrap up their weekend road trip at Middle Tennessee on Feb. 14 at 5 p.m. EST. Watch KSU face the Blue Raiders on ESPN+.

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. Read Full Article