By: by Mark Toma
Box Score
KENNESAW, Ga. – Jon-Michael Nickerson scored a game-high 21 points and four Kennesaw State players scored in double figures as the Owls topped Florida Gulf Coast, 77-70, on Saturday night at the KSU Convocation Center.
Trailing by four at halftime, the Owls (10-12, 5-6 A-Sun) chipped away at the FGCU lead and tied the game at, 43-43, on a jumper by Markeith Cummings. The game would see saw back-and-forth over the next 13 minutes with the lead changing hands 12 times.
The Owls would take the lead five times over the next 11 minutes, but never led by more than one point as the Eagles answered every KSU basket with one of their own. Reggie Chambers followed a Nickerson basket with a three-pointer to give FGCU a, 63-61, lead with 6:31 left in the game. Those were the last points FGCU would score over the next five minutes as the Owls went on a 12-0 run to seal the win.
Kurtis Woods, who scored 16 points, gave the Owls a lead with a pair of free-throws and Cummings, who scored in double-digits for the 22nd time, followed with a traditional three-point play, converting a free-throw after overpowering Chambers who ineffectively tried to prevent a one-handed lay-up.
Nickerson hit a pair of free-throws before Matt Heramb connected on a three-pointer from the corner in front of the Owls bench for an eight-point Kennesaw State lead with 2:47 left in the game.
Spencer Dixon pushed the KSU lead to 10 points, 73-63, before the Eagles stunned the KSU Convocation Center crowd with four quick points in two seconds. Ed Rolax hit a lay-up and was fouled, but after missing the free-throw Hunter Miller came up with the loose ball and followed with lay-up and was fouled as the Owls lead stood at 73-67 with 1:20 left.
Miller missed the free-throw, but Woods was immediately fouled and made one of-two shots to bring the lead back to seven points. After three frantic passes by FGCU and the clock winding down to 30 seconds, Chambers hit an off balanced three-pointer from the top of the key to make the score 74-70.
After a Kennesaw State turnover, Reed Baker, who led FGCU (7-14, 4-8 A-Sun) with 16 points including five three-pointers, created an open look from the corner, but his shot skimmed off the far rim with Dixon grabbing the rebound and solidifying the Owls fourth consecutive win.
Kennesaw State raced out to a quick start and led 13-2 before Florida Gulf Coast settled down. Nickerson and Woods each had 11 points in the half as the Black and Gold led most of the first stanza until FGCU’s Baker hit a jumper with 3:31 left to give the Eagles their first lead of the game, 32-30.
Cummings (7-for-15) scored 16 points for the Owls and had a game-high nine rebounds while Dixon added 12 points as the owls shot 45.6 percent from the field including a sizzling 54.5 percent in the second half.
Anthony Banks had 13 points and nine rebounds for FGCU, who saw their two-game losing streak come to an end although shooting over 50 percent (50.9%) from the field. Miller also had a solid night, coming up two points short of a double-double with eight points and 10 assists. He also contributed five rebounds and four steals.
Kennesaw State will be back in action on Monday evening when they host Stetson at 7:30 p.m. at the KSU Convocation Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and can be heard live on 920 am WGKA as well as on-line at www.920WGKA.com. Craig Corbin, play-by-play, and Scott Webb, color analyst, will call the action live beginning with the Peachtree Orthopedic Clinic Pre-game Show at 7:00 p.m.
