By: by Mark Toma
Box Score | Post Game Press Conference
Macon, Ga. – Kennesaw State’s captivating postseason run took another dramatic journey on Friday night, but in the semifinals, the Owls came up short as they fell to ETSU, 69-64, in a thrilling game in the 2010 General Shale Brick Atlantic Sun Conference Men’s Basketball Championship at the University Center.
The Owls (13-20) gave ETSU all it could handle, leading by as many as 15 points in the first half, but the No. 5-seed Buccaneers (19-14) rode the hot hands off Micah Williams and Tommy Hubbard to their third win of the year over the Owls.
Markeith Cummings led all scorers with 23 points and Spencer Dixon added 18 points as the underdog Owls clawed basket-for-basket with the Buccaneers. Kennesaw State’s redshirt freshman and all-conference selection scored 10 points in the first half and 13 points in the second half as he scored in double-digits for the 32nd time this season.
“I am so proud of how we played tonight,” said Kennesaw State head coach Tony Ingle. “The first two times we played them they got up on us early. Tonight we did it to them, but then a couple of plays here and a couple of plays there cost us. But, I am very proud of what we did, being picked 11th preseason and making the tournament, beating the No. 1-seed and giving ETSU all they could handle. I’m proud.”
After controlling nearly all the first half, the Owls saw their hopes of a trip to the conference finals fade in the second half as they fell behind, 45-37, with 13:29 left in the game. Cummings then provided a four-point burst to trim the lead to four points and revive the Owls.
“Markeith played well tonight,” added Ingle. “He played with a tremendous amount of heart and at times kept us in the game.”
After a Tommy Hubbard basket briefly stopped the Owls run, Dixon, the Black and Gold’s other hero, stepped up and drained a three-pointer to cut the Buccaneers lead in half. On the next possession, Matt Heramb connected with a long-range three-pointer from the top of the key to tie the game with 10:44 left.
Kennesaw State would take the lead on a three-pointer by Cummings and would hold the lead for the next four minutes until Isiah Brown, who finished with nine points, gave the Buccaneers a lead on a lay-up and a free-throw shot with 5:42 remaining.
Dixon connected with a three-pointer from in front of the Owls bench with 1:21 left to make the score, 63-62, but seldom used reserve J.C. Ward hit a 14-foot jumper to push the lead to three-points with under a minute left.
Kelvin McConnell brought the Owls to within a point when he crashed the boards after a missed lay-up by Dixon, put up an awkward follow amidst a bevy of ETSU defenders and drew a foul. After a missed free-throw, the Buccaneers ended the game on a 4-0 run to advance to the finals.
Kennesaw State, for the first time in three meetings with the Buccaneers this season, got off to a strong start. Cummings gave the Owls a lead with a three-pointer on their first possession. They would continue to jump on the Buccaneers and led 14-2, holding the lead until the last three seconds of the half when ETSU’s Micah Williams gave the Buccaneers a, 31-29, halftime lead on a three-pointer.
The Owls finished the season with a Division I record 13 wins and became the first No. 8-seed to knock off a No. 1-seed in the A-Sun tournament since the 2000 season.
