KENNESAW, Ga. — Kennesaw State women's basketball came out on top in another nail-biting finish as it defeated Liberty 64-58 on Saturday afternoon at VyStar Arena.
After leading by 12 late in the third quarter, KSU went down three with 1:35 to play in the game.
Shania Nichols and
Keyarah Berry stepped up in the closing minutes and drained key scores to help the Owls hold on late. Berry secured the go-ahead score as she buried a turnaround jumper in the lane over two defenders to put the Owls in front for good, 60-58, with 24 seconds to play.
Saturday's win marked the first-ever victory against Liberty in KSU women's basketball history.
First Half
KSU got out to an early 6-2 lead with Berry scoring on two drives to the rim and
Trynce Taylor draining a pair of free throws. Liberty awoke with a 9-4 run to briefly take the lead, but the Owls were quick to respond with a 6-0 spurt to close the quarter. Berry added her fourth field goal of the quarter with a physical play down low as she gathered her own miss and put it back up for a bucket between defenders.
Liberty went on a 10-4 run to open the second quarter and briefly took a 23-20 lead before Nichols replied with her first triple of the game.
Kailyn Fields drained another 3-pointer moments later, and Nichols kept KSU in front 29-28 at half with an old-fashioned 3-point play.
The Lady Flames shot 50% from the field in the first half to the Owls' 39. KSU kept pace with eight points on eight forced Liberty turnovers.
Second Half
The Owls shot 44% from the field in the third quarter and used a 13-2 run to take a game-high 14-point lead at the period's 3:26 mark.
Berry sparked the run with a 3-point play followed by a steal-turned-score seconds later. Nichols and
Madyson Elliott added 3-pointers to put KSU in front 44-32. The Owls' defense delivered a four-minute Liberty scoring drought in the third quarter, highlighted by their third forced backcourt violation of the day.
KSU went to the fourth up 49-41, but four turnovers over a four-and-a-half-minute stretch helped the Lady Flames fight back to tie the game at 53 with four minutes to play.
While Liberty twice retook the lead in the final two minutes, the Owls answered each time on their way to a nail-biting win.
TaTianna Stovall scored inside to even the game at 55. The Lady Flames regained the lead with a 3-pointer, only to see Nichols nail one of her own with 57 seconds remaining. Nichols drew an offensive foul to put a halt to Liberty's next possession and return the ball to KSU for a go-ahead score.
Berry secured that score as she buried a turnaround jumper in the lane over two defenders to put the Owls in front for good, 60-58, with 24 seconds to play. Nichols and Fields put the game away with four free throws in the closing seconds.
Game Notes
- KSU was narrowly edged from the field, 44-43%, but went 5-of-15 from 3-point range and 11-of-13 from the free throw line.
- The Lady Flames went 11-of-11 from the free throw line but were held to 23% on 3-of-13 from beyond the arc. They entered the game leading the conference in 3-point shooting at a 36% clip.
- The Owls dominated fast break scoring 21-0.
- KSU recorded 16 assists on 24 field goals, led by Kailyn Fields' career-high-tying nine helpers. Fields is the only CUSA player with multiple games of nine or more assists this season.
- Nichols' 18 points came on 6-of-12 shooting from the field with three 3-pointers, a block and a steal.
- Berry added 17 points, six rebounds and four steals. Berry is now just three points from 1000 for her career.
- With four steals on Saturday, Berry moved up to 10th at KSU in Division I-era (2005-pres.) career steals at 109.
Head Coach Octavia Blue Postgame
"This was a hard-fought game. Everybody knows Liberty is a great program. They won the conference championship last year. So, it's a huge deal for us to come in here and pull this win off. I thought we came out with great energy to start the game. Our starters were focused. We did it with our defense, and everything else followed. Liberty made a run. They tied the ball game, and we were able to regain the lead, and we kept it. That shows a lot about our team. We missed 12 free throws in our last game, and it was great to see the ladies come through and seal the game, and shoot 11-of-13 from the free throw line."
On the Owls' offensive performance
"On offense, we shared the ball. I was just talking to
Kailyn Fields in the locker room and telling the team, 'We're a much better team when she has nine assists and distributes the ball across the board.' I thought it was a total team effort."
On the play of freshmen Madyson Elliott and Emaya Lewis
"I want to make sure I shoutout the play of freshman
Madyson Elliott, who came in and hit that big 3-pointer for us. She had some great defensive stops, too. Then, you had
Emaya Lewis, who came in, and the shot clock was running down, she picked the ball up off the floor and was able to sink a jumper. When you have a squad with players who can come in and contribute with spot minutes, you know you're gelling and excelling in the right way."
On Shania Nichols' performance
"I was talking to Shania on the bench and at halftime, and I told her, 'Don't pass up any open shots.' I think that she came out really aggressively and took the shots when she was open. Her teammates really found her. That's not the only thing she did. She got to the basket a couple of times. That really makes us a better team."
Guard Shania Nichols Postgame
On key moments in today's game
"There were a lot of turning points in this game, but I think we just did a really good job at coming together and responding."
On the impact of the team's leaders in today's game
"It showed up all the way around. For myself, I make sure everybody's poised and together in those moments where we're out of control. Today, we all came together and were very poised."
Next Time Out
KSU takes to the road for two games at WKU and Middle Tennessee Feb. 12 and 14. Watch the Owls face the Lady Toppers on Thursday at 12 p.m. EST 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.
