A breakout performance by junior college transfer Ty-Nita Baker wasn’t enough on Friday night, as the Owls fell 87-66 to the College of Charleston Cougars in their first game of the season.
Baker, who was a two-year standout at Itawamba Community College in Fulton, Miss., seamlessly introduced herself to KSU’s offensive scheme as she played all 40 minutes and scored 23 points. Although she was just 6-of-23 from the field, Baker connected from beyond the arc four times and shot 7-of-8 from the freethrow line.
KSU’s ability to get to the charity stripe was a positive for head coach Nitra Perry.
“This was definitely a team that proved to be a great early test and exposed some things that we need to get better at,” Perry said. “We shot 23 free throws to the other team’s 11.”
However, Perry was frustrated with the fact the Cougars shot 48.1 percent from the field. “Defensively, we did not play well as a team. We did not get it done,” Perry said. The Owls played the Cougars close in the second half as the College of Charleston in serted more reserves into the game, but it was too little, too late, considering the Owls trailed 47-27 at intermission.
The College of Charleston put 12 different players on the floor and had 19 assists as a team. Alyssa Frye led the Cougars with 27 points on 10- of-14 shooting, while Afreyea Tolbert registered a double-double with 14 points and ten boards.
Guard Kristina Wells was a quiet 1-of-2 from three-point range, but did finish with 13 points and led the Owls with eight rebounds.
