EL PASO, Texas —
Shania Nichols drained a pair of game-winning free throws with 0.6 seconds left to help Kennesaw State women's basketball escape from UTEP 58-57 on Saturday afternoon at the Don Haskins Center.
The win in El Paso, coupled with losses from Delaware and New Mexico State, pushes KSU from 11
th to eighth in the Conference USA standings. After entering the day one spot out of the CUSA tournament, the Owls are now back in position for a postseason berth.
The top 10 teams in the league advance to the 2026 Air National Guard CUSA Women's Basketball Championship held March 10-14 at Propst Arena in Huntsville, Alabama. If the season ended today, KSU would face Delaware in a first-round game on March 10.
First Half
UTEP broke out to a 12-4 lead seven minutes in while KSU struggled to heat up at 1-for-6 to start. The Owls came to life with a 12-3 run over the final three minutes of the quarter.
Shania Nichols sparked the KSU offense with a 3-pointer from the logo.
Kaelyn Flowers then stepped into a passing lane and took a Miner turnover to the tin for two and a one-possession game. Nichols went on a personal 5-0 run to bring the Owls within one with a pair of free throws and a corner trey.
Keyarah Berry gave KSU its first lead of the game at 16-15 with two free throws to finish the period.
Nichols immediately picked up where she'd left off and drained her third triple of the game to start the second quarter. The Owls took a half-high six-point lead on a 6-0 run after UTEP tied the game at 21 with 6:45 before the break.
TaTianna Stovall started the run with a putback score. Nichols went two-for-two from the stripe and
Latazia Williamson hit an elbow jumper to put KSU in front 27-21.
The Miners answered with the last five points of the half, sending the Owls to the locker room with a 27-26 lead. KSU shot 42% in the first half to UTEP's 32. Both teams turned the ball over 14 times in the half, though the Owls outscored the Miners 14-11 in resultant points. Nichols led KSU at the break with 13 points.
Second Half
KSU and UTEP traded buckets in the third quarter, with neither team able to gain more than four points' separation.
Trynce Taylor took over in the paint to score the Owls' first six points of the half. Flowers added a 3-pointer, and Berry took a Williamson steal the distance for the deuce as KSU held on for a 44-40 lead headed into the fourth.
Taylor continued her hot shooting to start the fourth with three of the Owls' first four baskets in the period. Her third bucket gave KSU a game-high six-point lead at 52-46 with 5:30 to play.
UTEP mounted a 7-0 run to retake the lead 53-52 with 3:50 remaining. KSU weathered a scoring drought of nearly five minutes and stayed within striking distance, 55-54, on a Berry transition bucket with 56 ticks to go.
The Miners took a 57-54 lead with 48 seconds to play, and it was up to KSU to climb back for the win from the free-throw line.
Madyson Elliott drained a pair to bring the Owls within one at the 0:41 mark. Stovall kept UTEP off the board with a block on its final possession. Berry preserved a last-gasp effort from the Owls as she clawed in an offensive rebound while being fouled in the final second.
With Berry injured on the play, Nichols checked in and calmly knocked down the game-winning free throws.
Game Notes
- Three Owls scored in double figures with Nichols leading the way at 15 points on 3-of-6 from beyond the arc and 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. Berry added 14 points and seven rebounds, while Taylor scored 12 points, all in the second half.
- KSU outshot UTEP 39-36% from the field. The Owls also held advantages in rebounding (35-33) and second-chance scoring (17-12).
- Saturday marked Berry's 115th career game played at KSU. Berry now ranks sixth among all Owls in the program's Division I-era (2005-pres.) in career games played.
- Williamson's three blocks give her 30 for the season. Williamson and Stovall are now just the second tandem in KSU history to each register 30 blocks in a season.
Head Coach Octavia Blue Postgame
On the resilience of her squad
"We've been through ups and downs, peaks and valleys, but I love how this team snaps back. They're so resilient. I cannot tell you how proud I am of the toughness of this team. As a staff, we challenge them every single day, and the team has risen to the occasion."
On Madyson Elliott's free throws that brought the Owls within one with 41 seconds to play
"I want to give a special shoutout to
Madyson Elliott for stepping up and knocking down those free throws in the final minute. That's not something you would typically expect a freshman to do in a high-pressure moment, but she did, and I'm really proud of her."
On the team battling through injuries
"We've had injuries throughout this season, we only dressed seven players last week against Louisiana Tech, and held our own. This team is tough as nails, and now we're one step closer to the conference tournament."
Next Time Out
KSU concludes the regular season in a 3 p.m. EST game at Jax State on March 7. Watch the Owls face the Gamecocks 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.
