By: by Mark Toma
Box Score
CHICAGO – Markeith Cummings scored a career-high 22 points and Jon-Michael Nickerson registered a double-double with a 14-point, 13-rebound effort as Kennesaw State snapped its three-game losing streak with an 85-68 win over Mississippi Valley State in the final game of the 2009 Chicago Invitational Challenge at the UIC Pavilion.
The Owls (3-3) moved back to .500 with the victory as Cummings became the first Kennesaw State player to top the 20-point mark this season. The redshirt freshman was 8-for-11 from the field and hit on all five free-throw attempts.
Kurtis Woods had another solid effort, scoring 15 points while grabbing eight rebounds as he helped the Owls to a 19-point halftime advantage over the Delta Devils (1-6), who shot just 21.4 percent from the field in the first half.
Kennesaw State cruised throughout the game and built its lead to as many as 22 points in the second half as they shot 52 percent from the field. Mississippi Valley State only once came within single-digits of the Owls, trimming the Black and Gold lead to nine points with just under 16 minutes left to play before KSU countered with a 7-0 run.
Spencer Dixon, who had six points, hit a pair of free-throws to start things off before Cummings hit a lay-up, and Matt Heramb drained a three-pointer, one of two in the game for the junior, to put the game out of reach.
Nickerson was dominant for the Owls as he notched the Owls second double-double of the season while adding four assists and three steals. The senior tri-captain had six offensive rebounds and seven off the defensive glass while also going 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.
The Owls will be back in action when they host Belmont and Lipscomb on Dec. 3 and Dec. 5 at the KSU Convocation Center in the first two Atlantic Sun Conference games of the season.
