College of Charleston
Kennesaw State
CofC WBB Falls, 68-61, in Opener
11/15/2014 4:06:00 AM | Women's Basketball
KENNESAW, Ga. – The College of Charleston women's basketball team suffered a 68-61 defeat to Kennesaw State after a thrilling back-and-forth season opener at the KSU Convocation Center on Friday night.
In a game that saw nine lead changes, CofC led for over 20 minutes of the playing time, while the teams spent over six minutes deadlocked at ties, but KSU ended the game on a 13-5 run over the last five minutes to steal the result.
“We started to push the ball in transition the way that we want to, and the way that we should,” said head coach Candice M. Jackson, making her official CofC debut. “The post players showed up when they got the ball – I don't think they got as many touches as they should have – but when they did, they executed and converted. They're going to cause teams a lot of problems this season.
“I think our guard play was strong; they stepped up and put in a great effort. We have great shooters who didn't really get their shots tonight. So, the pieces are definitely there, we just have to bring some things together.”
Senior Breanna Bolden and freshman Shiclasia Brown led the Cougars offensively and both finished in double figures. Bolden turned in 17 points and completed her double-double with 13 rebounds. Brown shot 50 percent (6-for-12) from the floor and ended the game with 14 points.
The Cougars won the battle for the glass, led by Bolden's game-high 13 boards, and Jacqueline Luna-Castro who pulled down 10, leading to a 19-9 Cougar edge in second-chance points.
The Cougars were unable to overcome the Owls 46 percent shooting (23-for-50) in the game, however, with KSU going 13-for-24 (54 percent) from the floor in the second half.
Four Owls players ended the game in double figures, led by Breonna Mosely who poured in a game-high 19.
After the teams exchanged baskets to open, KSU sprung a 7-2 run to lead 11-6 five minutes into the game, but then CofC pulled down offensive rebounds and converted put-backs on three consecutive offensive trips to snag a 14-12 lead.
The Cougars then held KSU scoreless for over five minutes – while denying them a field goal for 10 minutes – to lead by as many as 10 with eight minutes left in the first half, but the Owls stormed back to within one before the Cougars took a 30-29 lead into the locker room.
The up-tempo second half flew from end to end, with the margin staying within four points either way and the score being tied three different times over the first 10 minutes.
After the under-16 media timeout, the Cougars created turnovers on four consecutive KSU possessions, and then forced them into highly-contested, low-percentage shots on the next four trips up the floor, resulting in a three-minute Owl scoreless drought.
At the other end, Erin Hall knocked down a long-range shot from beyond the arc, which ignited her well-represented hometown contingent, and stretched a five-point CofC lead.
KSU responded again, however, and finished the game on a 21-9 run which CofC was unable to overcome over the last eight minutes, and a pair of Mosely free throws swung the Owls back in front for good, 60-58, with under three minutes left.
In the final minute, Brown knocked down a three pointer to bring CofC back within one possession, but it ultimately marked CofC's final points, allowing KSU to re-stretch the lead in the final seconds.
CofC returns to action with its home owner, welcoming former Southern Conference rival UNC Greensboro to the TD Arena on Sunday, Nov. 16. The Cougars and Spartans are set for a 2 p.m. tip.
“The quick turnaround represents a challenge,” said Jackson, “but it's an opportunity for us to prepare for the quick turnarounds we'll face deep in the season or in the tournament. We can't sulk in the past; we have to move forward and be ready for UNC Greensboro, a team that's similar to Kennesaw. They have good outside shooters and like to penetrate and kick as well, so we go back, look at film, fix the things we need to fix, and take that into the Greensboro game.”
