KENNESAW, Ga. (Interstat) — The Kennesaw State Owls used a strong start and a dominant finish to defeat the South Carolina Upstate Spartans 55-41 in a non-conference women’s basketball game Friday night at the KSU Convocation Center.

In a contest defined by defensive pressure and offensive struggles, the Owls improved their season record to 3-2, while the Spartans fell to 3-6 before an announced crowd of 471.

Kennesaw State set the tone early, opening the game on a 12-2 run. The Owls’ defense was relentless, forcing a flurry of South Carolina Upstate turnovers in the first quarter. The sequence was sparked by an early layup from Trynce Taylor, followed by a driving layup from Kaelyn Flowers. Shania Nichols then drained a three-pointer, forcing an early Spartans timeout as the home team seized control.

South Carolina Upstate, struggling to find any offensive rhythm against the Owls’ defensive pressure, managed to close the gap slightly by the end of the first quarter, trailing 16-13. The second quarter saw more of the same, with Kennesaw State extending its lead to 29-21 by halftime. The Spartans were held to just eight points in the period.

The third quarter provided a glimmer of hope for the visitors. Led by the sharp shooting of Cassie Gallagher, South Carolina Upstate mounted a charge. Gallagher connected on two crucial three-pointers in the quarter, part of a personal scoring burst that helped the Spartans claw their way back into the game. The Owls’ offense went cold, managing only eight points in the period, and the Spartans cut the deficit to just four points, trailing 37-33 heading into the final quarter.

Any momentum South Carolina Upstate carried into the fourth was quickly extinguished by a decisive response from Kennesaw State. The Owls opened the final period with a 10-2 run, re-establishing a double-digit lead from which the Spartans would not recover. Nichols was instrumental in the closing stretch, hitting a key three-pointer to push the lead back to nine points and effectively seal the game.

The Owls pulled away down the stretch, outscoring the Spartans 18-8 in the fourth quarter. Kennesaw State’s ability to force turnovers and convert them into points proved to be the difference, as South Carolina Upstate’s offense never found consistent traction after the third-quarter surge.

Shania Nichols led all scorers for Kennesaw State, finishing with 20 points, including several critical baskets to halt Spartan rallies. Trynce Taylor provided a solid contribution with 10 points, while Keyarah Berry also chipped in 10 points and was a disruptive force on defense.

For South Carolina Upstate, Cassie Gallagher shouldered the offensive load, scoring a team-high 17 points in 38 minutes of action. Emma Blair was the only other Spartan in double figures, adding 12 points off the bench.

The game was a tale of two halves for the Spartans, who showed resilience to get back into the contest but ultimately could not overcome the early deficit and the Owls’ strong finish. Kennesaw State’s defense was the story, consistently generating stops and turnovers to secure the victory.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Kennesaw State was projected with a 92.70 percent probability to win the contest.

South Carolina Upstate will look to rebound on the road against Western Carolina on Wednesday. Kennesaw State faces a tough test in its next outing, traveling to face Alabama on Monday.