Freshman sensation Deandrea Sawyers scored a career high 21 points on Saturday afternoon as KSU defeated North Florida, 59-51, to earn its first conference win of the season at the Convocation Center.
“This game was extremely important for us, especially after the second half where we fought back in our last game,” head coach Nitra Perry, in her second season with the Owls, said. “None of our kids, even Lisa Capellan, had been out there with a day between games. I was proud of the total team effort that was displayed for 40 minutes tonight.”
Sawyers did all of her work behind the arc as she hit seven three-pointers, while guard Kristina Wells helped with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting, seven boards, five assists and four steals.
“She’s been phenomenal,” Perry said of Sawyers’ play. “When she plays with confidence, she’s a game changer.”
The Owls prevailed against the Ospreys despite playing just eight total players, getting just two points from the bench.
The game featured eight lead changes, with the Owls owning the largest lead at 11 with 27 seconds remaining. KSU scored 19 points off turnovers and just 12 points in the paint.
North Florida was led by Destinee Smith, who scored 15 points along with five boards, two assists and two steals. Larkira Jones scored 10 points and helped with eight rebounds.
North Florida dropped to 0-2 in the conference and 4-9 on the year, while KSU’s victory evens its A-Sun record at 1-1.
The Owls will be back on the court Thursday in Nashville against Lipscomb, before traveling to Northern Kentucky on Saturday to play the Norse, who lead the league at 2-0 (6-7 overall).
