A senior broke a six-year-old school record against Central Arkansas on Feb. 9 and is now the sole record holder of the most career points scored in Kennesaw State women’s basketball history.
Alexis Poole entered the evening just four points shy of the record of 1,380 career points, previously set by Deandrea Sawyer in 2016. Poole broke the record on a layup in the third quarter, ending the game with 16 points, six rebounds and a school record.
This was the first-ever matchup between KSU and UCA, and the Owls made it a memorable first showing of what they bring to the court.
“We’re finally starting to put four quarters together, that’s something I harped on for a while,” head coach Octavia Blue said. “Our second half was important, it’s what got us over the hump today.”
KSU finished the game with 36 of their 66 points scored in the paint. They also forced 21 turnovers, 12 of them from steals, resulting in 17 points off turnovers. The team grabbed 11 offensive rebounds which allowed them to score 13 second-chance points.
Amani Johnson finished the game with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists. Johnson also led the team in steals with three. Jah’Che Whitfield also poured in 10 points and four boards.
The tempo of the first half was steady as neither team could gain a substantial lead to building separation. KSU trailed for the majority of the first half and did not claim the lead until the five-minute mark of the second quarter, but went into the half with a two-point lead. The team only scored on 36% of its first-half possessions, which helped UCA stay within arm’s reach at halftime.
KSU got the ball rolling in the second half as they forced the Sugarbears into two backcourt violations. This would lead to the Owls going on a 10-3 run and their largest lead of the game at that point of nine, allowing Poole to break the record.
KSU opened up their first double-digit lead of the game in the third quarter and never looked back. UCA opened the fourth with some life, cutting the lead down to as little as seven, but the Owls held their composure and finished them off, securing the victory.
KSU handed the Sugarbears their seventh loss in away games, giving them a record of 2-7. They move to 8-13 and 7-5 at home for the season and are still the eighth-ranked team in the ASUN Conference. After a three-game home-stand, the Owls will be heading to Fort Myers, Florida to face the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles.