By: by Scott Lipsky
Box Score Game Notes Photo Gallery Quotes Video
KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State Owls basketball team pulled off an impressive feat on Monday evening, using 27 points from Spencer Dixon and 19 from LaDaris Green to take down their local rival, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 80-63, in front of a sold-out crowd at the KSU Convocation Center.
The Owls (2-0) jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead and never trailed in the game, Green starting things off with a three-point basket from the top of the key 46 seconds into the game. After the Yellow Jackets (1-1) made a pair of baskets to make it a 7-4 contest, the Black and Gold went on an 18-9 run over the next 7:24 to make it a 25-13 game with 8:53 left in the first half. They would lead 41-26 at halftime and would never trail.
“I am really fired up right now, the guys have been working hard since March. I have never had a team work this hard,” Owls head coach Tony Ingle said. “I told the guys before the game, do you have your shoes? Do you have rims, a basketball and a jersey? They said yes. I then asked them do you have a dream? Then bring it. I want you dreaming tonight. Bring your dream.”
The victory was the first in the Owls history against a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference, and the sellout crowd of 4,784 Monday night was a record for the KSU Convocation Center.
Kennesaw State used some high-flying, up-tempo play in the first half to jump out to their big lead, and were able to get out in transition and create quick baskets to build their lead. Dixon, who had six assists to go along with his career high 27 points, was able to find Green, whose 19 points was also a career high, ahead on a fast break with 15:30 to go in the half, and Green was able to lay the ball in and complete the three-point play, making a 9-4 lead and giving the crowd.
Dixon was at it again several minutes later, this time on the receiving end, catching a pass from senior Kelvin McConnell, who grabbed a long rebound and pushed it ahead to the junior guard, who laid it in to make it 25-13 with 8:53 remaining.
McConnell, who made three three-pointers in the contest, all in the first half, played a critical role in freeing up the offense during the first half. Having him hit those outside shots, Dixon said, made it that much easier for everyone else to operate offensively.
“Kelvin is strong on the outside. Every time we see him shoot, we think it is going in,” Dixon said of his backcourt mate. “All of the shots he made were big for us and we really needed them to keep going in.”
The duo of McConnell and sophomore Markeith Cummings, who was one of four Owls in double figures on the evening with 13 points, had what was perhaps the most exciting moment of the game when, with 5:41 remaining in the contest, Cummings got out in front on a fast break and caught an alley-oop from McConnell, which gave the Owls a 29-16 lead and was met with a thunderous roar from the Owl faithful.
The Yellow Jackets made a strong effort to get back into the contest after trailing by as many as 20 in the first half. Down by 15 in the locker room, the club started the second half on a 7-0 run to it a 41-34 contest. After the Owls were able to push the lead back to 13 points, the Ramblin’ Wreck dug in once again, playing tough defense and causing the Owls to miss their next six shots, making the score 52-43 with 12:42 remaining.
They would get to within five after a pair of free throws by Kammeon Holsey made it a 54-49 game with 9:35 left, but that was as close as they would get. A 7-0 run by the Black and Gold over the next 2:35 would seal the deal, sending the Owls off to victory.
Green had 12 rebounds to go along with his career-high 19 points, notching his fourth career double-double. Sophomore Aaron Anderson, who started his second straight game to begin his first campaign with the Owls, joined Green in the double digit rebounding category, pulling down 10 boards.
The Owls were able to score 41 points in the first half on the strength of .531 shooting (17-32) and shot a total of .467 (28-60) for the contest.
With the win, the Owls become the first team in the A-Sun to beat Georgia Tech since Jan. 16, 1993, when then-member College of Charleston pulled off the feat. Ironically, this is the second time in four days that an A-Sun school has toppled a program from the ACC, with Stetson taking down Wake Forest, 89-79, on Friday evening.
It will be a quick rest for the Black and Gold, who take on Chattanooga on Wednesday evening at the KSU Convocation Center, with tip-off scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
