December 15, 2022

KENNESAW STATE HOLDS OFF FURMAN, 75-69

GREENVILLE, S.C -- Amani Johnson scored 17 points, and Kennesaw State withstood a pair of second half rallies by Furman to record a 75-69 win over the Paladins in women's basketball action Thursday evening at Timmons Arena.

The win improves Kennesaw State to 3-6 on the season while Furman falls to 6-6 with the loss.

Johnson's 17-point effort, which highlighted a solid shooting effort by the Owls, who connected on 29-of-59 field goal attempts, featured 6-of-12 work from the field, including 3-of-6 connections from 3-point range, to go along with six assists.

Jah'che Whitfield followed with 15 points, and Carly Hooks finished with 14.

Furman's Jaelyn Acker led all scorers with 20 points, Jada Session had 16, and Grace van Rij checked in with 15.  Session claimed a game high 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season.

Acker converted her first three free throw attempts of the game to set a new Furman standard for consecutive makes (33) before missing her final try. The previous standard had been held by Sarah Durdaller (2014).

Leading 44-37 three minutes into the second half, the Owls saw the Paladins erase the advantage over the next two minutes beginning with a Grace van Rij 3-pointer from the right wing and a pair of layups by Furman's Jada Session.  A basket by guard Janay Outten following her own offensive rebound, put the Paladins up, 46-44, at the 4:24 mark, completing a 9-0 Furman run.  

The lead lasted just nine seconds, however, as Lyndsey Whilby answered with a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to put Kennesaw State back in front, 47-46.

Furman made another late third quarter push to tie the game at 53-53 following a Sydney Ryan 3-pointer with 1:38 to go in the period, capping a 5-0 spurt, but again KSU responded, reeling off the quarter's final six points beginning with a jump shot by Johnson.  Hooks' three-point play and a free throw by Whitfield sent the Owls into the fourth quarter ahead, 59-53.

Kennesaw State took command by scoring first six points of the final period while holding Furman scoreless for over the first three minutes of play to push their advantage to 65-53.

The Paladins shot just 34.4 percent from the field (21-of-61) and were outscored in the paint, 38-22.