By: Joseph Hovey
Kennesaw State (13-15, 6-11 CUSA) at Jax State (14-15, 8-9 CUSA)
Jacksonville, AL | Pete Mathews Coliseum | Saturday, March 7 | 3 p.m. EST
KENNESAW, Ga. — Kennesaw State women's basketball closes the regular season with a road trip to Jax State on Saturday.
STANDINGS STATUS
KSU's win at UTEP on Feb. 28, coupled with losses from Delaware and New Mexico State, pushed the Owls from 11
th to eighth in the Conference USA standings. After entering last weekend one spot out of the CUSA tournament, KSU is 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.
If both teams remain tied in league record following Saturday's games, Delaware would take the No. 8 seed and the Owls the No. 9 due to the Blue Hens' 65-60 OT win in their lone meeting this season.
Jax State holds a two-game lead on KSU and is firmly in seventh in the standings. The Gamecocks are 5-7 since they last faced KSU, including losses in four of their last six. Jax State joined the Owls in splitting their western road trip a week ago. The Gamecocks lost 64-66 at UTEP on Feb. 26 and defeated NM State 57-38 on Feb. 28.
JAX STATE ROUND TWO
In Saturday's 28
th all-time meeting between KSU and Jax State, the Owls will look to avenge a 47-74 loss they sustained to the Gamecocks at home on Jan. 17.
KSU finished the game shooting 34% from the field to Jax State's 48. Three-point shooting and rebounding disparities were difficult for the Owls to overcome. The Gamecocks knocked down 14 of 28 triples to KSU's 2-of-9. Jax State won the rebounding battle as well, 41-29.
Latazia Williamson and
Shania Nichols led the Owls in scoring against the Gamecocks with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
NICHOLS' FIRE & ICE
In an absolute must-have game for KSU's postseason hopes, Nichols stepped into the starting lineup for the 11
th time this season at UTEP on Feb. 28 and made the most of her opportunity. The junior from St. Paul, Minnesota, scored a team-high 15 points on 3-of-6 from beyond the arc and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line to go along with three assists and two steals.
Nichols caught fire from three in the first half with three triples to fuel the Owl offense. When
Keyarah Berry was fouled and injured while securing an offensive rebound on KSU's final possession, Nichols coolly stepped in and drained both game-winning free throws with 0.6 seconds to play.
Nichols is on track to set a new KSU Division I-era (2005-pres.) individual single-season high in free throw percentage. The IU Indianapolis transfer is currently leading the team at 88.7% from the charity stripe.
The Owls are 7-0 this season when Nichols leads them in scoring.
NO PAINT, NO GAIN
Success in the paint has been a key ingredient to KSU's wins all season. Twelve of 13 Owl wins have come when outscoring opponents in the paint, even by the narrowest margins, such as a 30-28 advantage at UTEP. Ten of KSU's 13 wins have ensued when outscoring the opponent in second-chance points. The Owls are a combined +212 in paint and second-chance scoring.
TURNOVERS & TIPPING POINTS
KSU's success in CUSA play is illustrated in a single statistical category: points off turnovers. The Owls are 5-0 in league play when outscoring their opponents in points off turnovers, 0-10 when outscored in the category and 1-1 when even.
LEADING TO WINS
The 2025-26 Owls are a second-half team, with a combined score differential of +53 in the second half to -9 in the first. Strong first and third quarters have catalyzed KSU's wins, with 10 of 13 coming when outscoring opponents in both periods.
When the Owls get a lead, they generally hold to it for the duration. This season, KSU is 11-1 when leading at the half and 12-0 when leading after three.
UPS AND DOWNS
Following Saturday's win in El Paso, KSU head coach
Octavia Blue described how her team has "been through ups and downs, peaks and valleys" this season. No better is that illustrated than in the Owls' recent flurry of games decided by single digits. KSU is 6-6 in such games, with seven of their last nine decided by nine points or fewer. Those games feature a combined 50 ties and 54 lead changes.
KNOW THE FOE
Thirteenth-year head coach Rick Pietri's Jax State squad is led by 11 and 10 points per game from forward Mya Barnes and guard Adriana Jones, respectively.
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.
