Basketball Recap: Jordyn Cowan's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Kennesaw Mountain over South Paulding

Kennesaw Mountain came up into this matchup off a tough 27-point defeat on Friday. This time they kept things ultra-competitive, but unfortunately the final result was the same. They fell just short of the South Paulding Spartans by a score of 51-49 on Saturday. While losing is never fun, the Mustangs can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Georgia basketball rankings (they are ranked 382nd, while the Spartans are ranked 142nd).

Several Mustangs players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Jordyn Cowan, who posted 18 points in addition to seven boards and three steals. That's the most points Cowan has posted since back in November of 2024. Nya Ford was another key player, putting up eight points and five rebounds.

South Paulding's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Lindsey Henry led the charge by almost dropping a double-double on nine points and 13 boards. Henry is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as she's now pulled down eight or more in the last five games she's played. Another player making a difference was Chloe Vandyke, who earned 18 points and four steals.

Kennesaw Mountain has been struggling recently as they've lost nine of their last ten matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-19 record this season. As for South Paulding, they pushed their record up to 14-9 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road.

Kennesaw Mountain will square off against East Paulding at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. As for South Paulding, they will venture away from home to challenge New Manchester at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. New Manchester will roll in looking for their ninth straight victory, something South Paulding surely won't give up without a fight.