KENNESAW, Ga. —
Keyarah Berry scored a game-high 23 points, and
TaTianna Stovall added a double-double, but Kennesaw State women's basketball was unable to complete a comeback and fell to Sam Houston 72-66 on Thursday night at VyStar Arena.
SHSU led by as many as 11 in the fourth at 67-56 with 3:33 to play. Scores from
Trynce Taylor, Berry and
Madyson Elliott helped the Owls claw back while their defense kept the Bearkats without a field goal for the last three minutes.
Berry carried KSU back to a 68-66 game with 27 seconds to go as she scored four points off steals from
Kaelyn Flowers and Taylor. An untimely turnover with 22 ticks left brought the comeback bid to a halt with the Bearkats holding on for the win.
First Half
Sam Houston went up 11-4 early before Berry found her shot with a corner triple and putback score on consecutive possessions. While the Bearkats responded with a 6-0 run, the Owls struck back with six-straight of their own.
Stovall squared the game at 19 early in the second quarter as she cleaned and scored off the glass. KSU fought to a 23-23 tie with 5:30 in the quarter, then took its first lead of the game at 26-25 with 3:30 before the break. Berry's second corner trey of the game gave the Owls the narrow lead.
A two-minute scoring drought to close the half left KSU trailing 32-28, 20 minutes in. The Owls shot 42% from the field in the first half while the Bearkats shot 41%. Fourteen SHSU points on 12 KSU turnovers were the difference in the half. Berry went to the break leading the Owls with 10 points.
Second Half
KSU and SHSU began the second half trading buckets, with the Owls unable to build on more than a one-point lead after three go-ahead scores.
Latazia Williamson and Berry scored back-to-back buckets in the paint to give KSU a 39-38 lead, but the Bearkats bore down with a 17-6 run over the quarter's last 5:40.
The Owls quickly trimmed a 10-point deficit to six with Flowers drawing a charge and scoring on the other end, as well as a Taylor steal-turned Berry bucket.
SHSU continued to counter each KSU run and led by as many as 11 in the fourth at 67-56 with 3:33 to play. Scores from Taylor, Berry and Elliott helped the Owls claw back while their defense kept the Bearkats without a field goal for the last three minutes.
Berry carried KSU back to a 68-66 game with 27 seconds to go as she scored four points off steals from Flowers and Taylor. An untimely turnover with 22 ticks left brought the comeback bid to a halt with the Bearkats holding on for the win.
Game Notes
- Berry's 23 points give her five games this season and 12 for her career with 20-plus. Thursday also marked Berry's 49th-career double-figure scoring game.
- With two steals, Berry surpassed Carly Hooks (2022-25) and Prencis Harden (2021-25) for eighth at KSU in Division I-era (2005-pres.) career steals.
- Stovall recorded her second-career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
- Mame Kane tallied a career-high six points and five rebounds in seven minutes of play.
- While both teams recorded 22 points off turnovers, the Owls turned the ball over 22 times to SHSU's 14.
- KSU narrowly outshot the Bearkats 46-45% from the field.
- The Owls also won the rebounding battle, 38-26, and outscored SHSU 14-3 in second-chance points.
- Five of KSU's last six games have been decided by single digits. Those games feature a combined 39 ties and 36 lead changes.
Head Coach Octavia Blue Postgame
On her team's performance
"Tonight, we faced a really tough, good Sam Houston team. Their play, how tough they are and their will to win is indicative of why they're at the top of our league. This was a back-and-forth game, but we allowed them to score too many points in the third quarter, and that was the turning point in the game. I was really proud of how the ladies battled back in the fourth quarter, particularly the last three-and-a-half minutes to kind of close within striking distance."
On what prevented a comeback win
"We had some busted plays on the defensive end and the lack of execution on the offensive end cost us the opportunity to steal this one after trailing. We fought hard towards the end, and I wish we had that effort throughout the course of the game. Forty minutes is what it takes to play at that high level and to be able to will out a win. I thought
Keyarah Berry executed well for us tonight, but having foul trouble and short rotations with injured players and such has really kind of hindered us."
On KSU's 22 turnovers
"Sam Houston forces 20-plus turnovers per game, and we talked about that, but when you get out in real live action, you feel that heat. We opened the game with five-straight turnovers. That's just miscommunication, not meeting passes, and we have to work on that. Turnovers have plagued us for most of the season, and you can't do that against Sam Houston. They're just too good, too tough."
On dealing with foul trouble late in the game
"We had to play
Trynce Taylor at the three spot a little bit tonight because of fouls and short rotations. It's challenging, but we practiced that this week, anticipating that
Shania Nichols wouldn't be available. It definitely does make it difficult when you have foul trouble and unorthodox lineups on the floor."
On Keyarah Berry's career
"She's a special kid, near and dear to my heart. I'll always have a special place in my heart for
Keyarah Berry. Hopefully, one day, I'll be at the special moments in her life. How could I ever forget her? She was my first-ever signee as head coach at Kennesaw State. She took a chance on me and shared a vision for where I see this program progressing. She's been a huge part of laying that foundation of what a Kennesaw State player looks like. It's in how she performs in the classroom, how she walks this campus, how she pours into this community.
"She comes from an amazing family. I just feel very privileged to be part of her life and help her through these meaningful years of her life. She came in here not scoring many points to start her career and then finishing with over 1000 points and top 10 in various statistical categories is really rewarding for her, and I'm happy to see it. That's why we do it."
Next Time Out
KSU will take the floor at VyStar Arena for the final time in the 2025-26 season when it faces Louisiana Tech on Saturday at 2 p.m. Owl Nation is invited to arrive early to participate in pregame Senior Day festivities as the team recognizes departing veterans Berry,
Gabriela Bendeck-Giron and
Fanta Daffe.
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.
