JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Interstat) — In a game decided by a single point and a final, frantic sequence of free throws, the Kennesaw State Owls escaped the ETSU Athletic Center with a 64-63 victory over the East Tennessee State Lady Buccaneers in a non-conference women’s basketball game on Wednesday.

The contest came down to the final seconds, as East Tennessee State’s Anala Nelson sank a free throw with five seconds remaining to pull the Lady Buccaneers within a single point. After a missed second attempt, a scramble for the offensive rebound led to a missed layup by SaBreya Monsanto, and Kennesaw State’s Keyarah Berry secured the defensive rebound as time expired to seal the win for the Owls.

Kennesaw State improved its record to 2-1 with the narrow road victory, while East Tennessee State fell to 0-3 on the young season.

The game was a tale of contrasting halves and offensive execution. The Owls built their lead through the second and third quarters, taking a 50-40 advantage into the final period. Kennesaw State’s offense operated efficiently, scoring 64 points on 61 possessions for an offensive rating of 105.6, while the Lady Buccaneers managed 63 points on 64 possessions, an offensive rating of 97.8.

East Tennessee State mounted a furious comeback in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Owls 23-14, but ultimately fell just short. The Lady Buccaneers capitalized on Kennesaw State mistakes, scoring 23 points off turnovers compared to the Owls’ 10. However, Kennesaw State’s superior shooting from the field proved decisive, as they connected on 24 of 51 attempts (47.1%), while East Tennessee State shot 20 of 52 (38.5%).

Latazia Williamson led all scorers for Kennesaw State, pouring in 20 points in just 25 minutes of action. She was complemented by Keyarah Berry, who recorded a near double-double with 14 points and 8 rebounds. Trynce Taylor anchored the paint for the Owls, pulling down a game-high 12 rebounds to go with 8 points.

East Tennessee State was led by Lucy Hood, who came off the bench to score 14 points, all from beyond the arc and at the free-throw line. SaBreya Monsanto added 11 points and 6 rebounds. Defensively, Meghan Downing was a force for the Lady Buccaneers, blocking four shots and altering numerous others in the paint.

The game was tightly contested statistically, with both teams grabbing 12 offensive rebounds. Kennesaw State held slight edges in assists, 8-6, and steals, 8-6. The Owls also won the battle in the paint, outscoring the Lady Buccaneers 28-24.

The victory gives Kennesaw State momentum heading into a home game against Tennessee Tech on Saturday. East Tennessee State will look for its first win of the season when it returns to the ETSU Athletic Center to host Claflin, also on Saturday.