By: by Mark Toma
NASHVILLE- Kennesaw State will begin its final road trip of the season on Thursday against Nashville-based Lipscomb and will conclude the regular season on Saturday versus Belmont as the Owls prepare for the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament next week in Macon, Ga.
Before the tournament begins, the Owls (12-17, 7-11 A-Sun) will look to snap their season-long, five-game losing streak as they play two teams that are jockeying for position as one of the top four seeds, as well as having an outside chance at the regular season title.
While the Owls, at best, can move up one spot in the standings, Lipscomb (15-12, 12-6 A-Sun) and Belmont (17-11, 12-6 A-Sun) are battling for a chance at the regular season championship and an automatic berth in the National Invitational Tournament, provided they do not win their way into the NCAA tournament.
Both the Bisons and the Bruins are one game behind Campbell and Jacksonville for first place in the A-Sun and have a chance to move up as the Camels and the Dolphins meet on Thursday night in Florida. Currently in eighth place, Kennesaw State trails North Florida for the seventh position and would need to win their remaining two games while the Ospreys would need to lose their final two games in order to switch positions.
On Thursday, the Owls play Lipscomb and will look to repeat the effort they had in the first meeting between the teams in December when Kennesaw State set five program records in a, 97-91, win at the KSU Convocation Center.
The Owls have fared well against the Bisons ever since winning the first-ever meeting between the teams in 2005 when they overcame a six-point deficit in the final two minutes, winning the game on two free throws by Andre Morgan with eight seconds remaining. The all-time series is tied 4-4, but the Owls will be looking for their first win in Nashville as they have lost all three previous meetings.
Spencer Dixon has been playing well of late. The sophomore point guard has demonstrated solid scoring sills as he is averaging 13.0 points per game over his last three games. The Owls assist leader has scored in double figures in seven of his last nine games and is coming off a career-high 16-point effort against North Florida.
Lipscomb's Josh Slater leads the Bisons attack and was named the A-Sun Player-of-the-Week on Monday after averaging 22.5 points and nine rebounds in wins over Florida Gulf Coast and Stetson. Slater, ironically, edged out the Owls Markeith Cummings, who averaged 20 points and eight rebounds against Jacksonville and North Florida.
Slater (17.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg) and Adnan Hodzic (21.9 ppg, 8.1 rpg) are overwhelmingly the leaders of Lipscomb’s attack. The pair has combined to lead the Bisons in scoring in all but two games this season and in rebounds in all but five games.
Tip-off for Thursday night's game is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. EST and can be heard live on 920 am WGKA as well as on-line at www.920WGKA.com. Jason Hanes, play-by-play and Scott Webb, color analyst, will call the action beginning with the Peachtree Orthopedic Clinic Pregame Show beginning at 8:00 p.m.
