Box Score (.pdf)

Spartanburg, S.C. – Deandrea Sawyers scored 13 points in the overtime period as the Kennesaw State Owls defeated the USC Upstate women's basketball team 79-71 in ASUN action at the Hodge Center on Saturday. 

Kennesaw State improves to 4-16 overall and 3-3 in the league while Upstate falls to 8-13 and 1-5. 

Brittney Delva and Tamera Thorpe each scored 14 points to lead the Spartans. DeNisha Swain scored 13 points while Raven Jefferson added 12 points. Riley Popplewell led the Spartans with six rebounds. 

Sawyers scored a game-high 29 points and recorded a double-double with 12 rebounds. Chloe Branch scored 14 points followed by Carlotta Gianolla with 10. Clara Young had a game-high five steals. 

Game Breakdown

• Kennesaw State opened the game on a 6-2 run before a Bailey Wensler 3-pointer and a Popplewell layup brought the Spartans to within one, 8-7, at the 5:31 mark of the opening quarter.
• Sawyers gave the Owls a 12-7 lead with just over five minutes to play. Upstate closed out the first quarter on an 8-2 run and led 15-14 at the end of the period thanks to a Popplewell jumper. 
• Delva pushed the Upstate lead to 17-13 before Gianolla tied the game at 18 with 5:42 to play in the second quarter. Aareon Smith's 3-pointer tied the game at 21 before the Spartans went on a 6-0 run for a 27-21 lead. The Spartans led 27-25 at halftime.
• Kennesaw State reclaimed the lead thanks to a Sawyers jumper just over a minute into the third quarter. Popplewell tied the game at 29 before Branch gave the Owls a 31-29 lead at the 7:38 mark. Kennesaw State led 41-39 after three quarters.
• A pair of Sawyers free throws gave Kennesaw State a 52-45 lead with just over five minutes remaining in regulation. The Spartans went on a 10-4 run bookended by Swain 3-pointers to pull within one, 56-55, with 2:47 left.
• Delva tied the game at 58 on a 3-pointer with just over two minutes to play. Sawyers was fouled and would hit both of her free throws to give the Owls a 60-58 advantage. Popplewell tied the game at 60 for the Spartans with 1:22 remaining. Delva was fouled with 1.7 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and had a chance to win the game in regulation but missed both free throws.
• Sawyers opened the overtime period with a jumper 30 seconds into the extra frame as the Owls led for the entire period. Upstate pulled to within a point, 65-64, after a pair of Swain free throws with 2:59 to play.
• Kennesaw State would score on its next four possessions while the Spartans were only able to score one point on a Thorpe free throw. Swain's 3-pointer with 59 seconds remaining brought the Spartans to within five, 73-68, only to see the Owls make free throws to extend their lead. A Thorpe 3-pointer with 15 seconds left made the score 75-71 but the Owls made four free throws in the final 13 seconds to secure the win.

By the Numbers

• Sawyers was 9-for-21 from the field but made 11 of 12 free throw attempts.
• Kennesaw State was 19-for-22 (86.4 percent) at the free throw line while Upstate finished 11-for-17 (64.7 percent).
• Swain scored eight of her 13 points in the fourth quarter.
• Upstate's bench outscored the Kennesaw State reserves 29-15.
• The Owls held a 47-29 rebounding edge.

Up Next

• Upstate travels to Lipscomb on Thursday for a 7:30 p.m. matchup

Follow Upstate women's basketball on your mobile device, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.