Dec. 11, 2007
Box Score
KENNESAW, Ga. - Maryland Eastern Shore's Mark Davis and Ed Tyson stopped Kennesaw State from getting their second straight win as the Hawks upended the Owls, 77-72, on Tuesday evening at the W.P. Hytche Athletic Center.
Davis, a freshman, scored a career-high 30 points, including making 7-of-9 free throws in the final :54 seconds, as Maryland Eastern Shore (2-9) snapped their eight-game losing streak. Tyson added 25 points as the Owls lost for the fourth time in five games.
Three-point shots kept Kennesaw State (2-6) close in the second half as the Owls made nine long-range baskets, led by Ronell Wooten's five three-pointers in the second half. However, the Owls, who trailed by as many as 17 points in the game, could not manage to take the lead in the second stanza although they were able to cut the margin to three points.
Wooten (7-for-23) and Shuan Stegall were able to keep Kennesaw State close, as the senior combination hit for 45 points. Wooten scored a team-high 26 points, 22 in the second half, on the heels of six three-pointers while Stegall (6-for-13) added 19 points, 13 coming in the first half. Stegall also added six rebounds and six assists.
Kennesaw State, who trailed by 17 points with 11:33 left in the game, chipped away at the Hawks lead and cut the margin to single digits when Wooten hit three free-throws to make the score 59-50 with 6:45 left in the game.
The game would flip back-and-forth, from a six-point deficit to a nine-point margin, for the next four minutes before the Owls went on an 8-2 run, culminating with a Wooten lay-up which made the score 68-65 with just under a minute remaining.
Davis made a free throw to push the lead to four points. But his second attempt missed and Aleksander Popovic grabbed the final of his 17 rebounds to keep possession. Maryland Eastern Shore out-rebounded Kennesaw State, 46-40, marking the first time this year they made more rebounds than their opposition.
Davis (8-for-15) would make another free throw before KSU head coach Tony Ingle was given a technical foul. Davis hit both foul shots, pushing the lead to seven points with :52 seconds left. Ryan Daugherty (1-for-4, 5 points) hit a three-pointer on the Owls next possession to make it a four-point game, but Kennesaw State couldn't get any closer.
Although each team committed 12 turnovers in the first half, it was Kennesaw State who found themselves trailing by 13 points, 42-29, at halftime after exchanging leads for the 10 minutes of the game.
The Owls shot just 29 percent from the floor in the first half, compared to 55 percent for Maryland Eastern Shore. Stegall was the lone KSU player to make more than one field goal in the half, going 4-for-9 from the field.
Keonte Keith (3-for-6) scored 10 points for the Owls and added five rebounds while freshman Tanner Jacobs scored six points and led the Owls with a career-high 12 rebounds.
The Owls will have a week off before traveling to play Texas State on Monday evening, December 18. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. eastern standard time. The game can be heard live on SuperTalk 1230/1340 AM.
