Jan. 11, 2009
Box Score
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Jon-Michael Nickerson led four Kennesaw State players who scored in double-figures with 14 points, but it wasn't enough as the Owls dropped an 82-61 decision to Jacksonville University in an Atlantic Sun Conference game from Swisher Gym on Sunday afternoon.
The Owls (5-9, 1-4) trailed by 16 in the first half as Jacksonville vaulted to a 31-15 lead, but Kennesaw State rallied in the latter stages of the period to trim the deficit. The Owls held Jacksonville to 12 points over the final 10 minutes of the half, and when Jonathan Whipple scored on a put-back on an offensive rebound, the Owls trailed by four, 37-33 with just over a minute in the half. The teams would trade baskets to close the half, with the Dolphins getting the upper hand to lead 41-35 after 20 minutes.
In the second half, KSU cut the lead back to four, 47-43, on a pair of free-throws by Nickerson. The Dolphins (6-8, 5-1) stretched the lead back to seven, but KSU pulled within five after a lay-up for Mirza Medinic made the score 52-47 with just over 14 minutes to go.
But Jacksonville would stay hot from the field, pushing the lead to 17 when a lay-up by Ayron Hardy pushed a JU run to 16-4 over seven minutes of the second half. The Owls tried to stay close, but eventually the shots stopped falling and Jacksonville came away with the 21-point victory.
KSU turned the ball over just nine times, the second-lowest turnover total for KSU this season. The Dolphins connected on just under 50 percent of their shots, hitting on 33-of-67 attempts from the field. KSU did well at the free-throw line, sinking 15-of-19, with Nickerson and John Allison combining to go 10-of-10.
Jacksonville dominated in the paint though, scoring 52 points inside and grabbing 43 rebounds to just 26 for the Owls. 22 of JU's rebounds were offensive.
Kelvin McConnell scored 13 points for the Owls, while Spencer Dixon added 12 and Whipple added 10.
Marcus Allen scored 19 points to lead all scorers for the Dolphins, who had four scorers in double-figures as well. Ben Smith chipped in 13 while Hardy had 12 and Lehmon Colbert scored 10.
The end of a five-game road trip, KSU will be back in action this Friday when Stetson visits the KSU Convocation Center. Game time will be at 7:00 p.m. in a game televised on Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast.
