The Kennesaw State women’s basketball team narrowly lost 77-72 against the North Florida Ospreys on Saturday, Jan. 13, after a second-half performance haunted by turnovers.
Shooting guard Kamiyah Street was the bright spot for the Owls, finishing as the team’s top scorer, tallying 26 points on 11 of 19 shooting. The Atlantic Sun Conference Freshman of the Week also added seven assists, three steals and three rebounds, stuffing the stat sheet with her performance.
Another impactful performer was forward Alexis Poole who finished with 21 points on nine of 15 shooting. In addition, Poole crashed the boards, collecting seven rebounds.
Despite the career-high points tally from Poole — and Street coming to one point short of her own personal best — the Ospreys were still able to come back in the second half.
The defense was the key factor in their comeback win. The Ospreys did not hold back on their defensive aggression, forcing 25 turnovers and converting them into points on the other end.
Leading 39-31 at the half, the Owls opened up a 14-point lead with just 3:43 remaining in the third quarter. Before the quarter finished, eight quick turnovers facilitated a 15-3 run by the Ospreys, who trailed by just two points going into the final quarter.
Three lead changes in the closing quarter ended in the Ospreys taking the lead for good with four minutes remaining.
The Ospreys kept Street and Poole as the only Owls to score in double digits. The rest of the Owls, excluding Street and Poole, combined for 25 points on 9-25 shooting.
Aside from the inability to secure the ball on each possession, the Owls finished with a 49.2 field goal percentage and shot 46.2 percent from three-point range. Furthermore, they dominated the boards with 34 rebounds.
Although the loss took them to a 4-9 overall record, the team has a talented core. Should the turnovers be limited, more games can be won.
The Owls held the lead for the majority of the game until several lead changes came in the fourth quarter. Finishing games down the stretch will be key to future wins.
The Owls’ next home game is against Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday, Jan. 20, at 2 p.m.