ATLANTA—The Georgia State women's basketball team (4-7, 0-0 SBC) fell 69-63 to the Kennesaw State Owls (6-3, 0-0 CUSA) on Sunday afternoon at home, despite a 20-point effort from Crystal Henderson.

The Panthers had three players score in double figures, led by Henderson, who added five assists and three steals. Ari Dyson followed with 11 points, seven rebounds, and five steals, while Morgan Robinson-Nwagwu contributed 11 points and two steals.

Dyson controlled the glass for Georgia State, grabbing four offensive rebounds as the Panthers capitalized on second-chance opportunities, turning 12 offensive boards into 11 points.

Georgia State forced 26 Kennesaw State turnovers and converted those takeaways into 20 points. Dyson's five steals led the defensive effort as the Panthers won the turnover battle despite committing 17 turnovers of their own.

How It Happened

After an early 6–6 tie, Georgia State sparked a 7-0 run midway through the first quarter to build a 13-6 advantage with 7:50 remaining. While Kennesaw State trimmed the margin, the Panthers carried a 17-15 lead into the first break, aided by five offensive rebounds that led to five second-chance points among their 17 points in the period.

The Panthers could not maintain their lead in the second quarter and entered halftime trailing 39-31.

Kennesaw State extended its lead coming out of the break, pushing the margin to 50-38 before Georgia State responded with a 6-0 run. A three-pointer from Crystal Henderson capped the surge and cut the deficit to 50-44 with 3:17 left in the third quarter. The Panthers held their ground the rest of the period and entered the fourth trailing 52-46, knocking down three triples to account for nine of their 15 third-quarter points.

Georgia State was unable to close the gap in the final quarter and fell 69-63. The Panthers found success inside, scoring 16 of their 17 fourth-quarter points in the paint.

Game Notes

• The Georgia State defense forced 26 turnovers.
• Georgia State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 12 offensive boards in the game.
• Crystal Henderson led the Panthers with a game-high 20 points.
• Georgia State got a team-high seven rebounds from Ari Dyson.

Up Next
Georgia State heads south for its conference opener, taking on Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Ga., on Thursday, Dec. 18 at 5 p.m.