By: KSU Sports Information
Box Score
Photo Gallery
Postgame Notes
All Photos Courtesy of Frank Mattia/Chattanooga Athletics
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Markeith Cummings scored 21 points to lead all scorers, and the Kennesaw State Owls were able to withstand a late charge by the Chattanooga Mocs to win their first game of the 2011-12 campaign, 65-59, on Friday evening.
Cummings was one of three Owls (1-2) to score in double figures on the evening, as the Black and Gold shot a solid 44.6 percent for the game, a vast improvement over their performances from the floor during their first two games of the season.
“First of all, I really thought that our guys really paid attention to the game plan, the best thus far," Preston commented. "I was very happy for our team. I thought that everybody that got in contributed. I think our seniors stepped up and played like seniors. They were kind of the energy for the rest of our group.”
First taking the lead, 17-16, midway through the first half after falling behind the Mocs (0-3), 14-5, to start the game, the Owls went to halftime leading, 37-31, on the strength of a 9-0 run over 2:18 that was capped by an emphatic one-handed dunk by Cummings to give the Owls a, 34-27, lead with 2:37 to go in the half.
Preston’s squad quickly worked to extend their lead in the second half, still leading by six with 16:35 to play when they embarked on a, 12-4, run to give themselves a, 55-41, cushion with 9:32 to go in the contest. They would reach their high water mark about a minute later, when Aaron Anderson would find Cummings at the front of a fastbreak and connected with a perfect baseball pass, allowing the Owls junior to lay it in and put his team up by 16 with 8:28 to go.
The Mocs would not go away quietly, going on a 14-2 run over the next 7:08, a stretch in which the Owls committed four turnovers and would shoot just 1-for-6 six from the floor. After being fouled by Anderson with 1:20 to go, the Mocs Drazen Zlovaric, who had a game-high nine rebounds and was one of three Mocs in double figures with 11 points, would calmly knock down a pair of free throws to put the home team to within 62-58 with 1:20 to go in the contest.
That would be as close as the Mocs would come the rest of the way, however. After an Owls turnover with 41 seconds to go, Chattanooga’s Omar Wattad, who had 12 points on the night, would miss a three-point attempt, and Anderson would pull down the rebound before getting the ball in the hands of Cummings, who would slam the ball through the net while getting fouled to put an exclamation point on the winning effort.
"I am always going to talk about our group being resilient, that is what we are going to have to be throughout the course of the season," Preston added. "The most important thing when you have seniors and juniors that have been through the fire and fight, that is where you want that resiliency to come out.”
Dixon complemented Cummings with 17 points on the night, to go along with six assists and five rebounds. After opening with 3-for-14 and 3-for-18 performances from the floor in the Owls first two days, he was able to find his stroke on Friday night while still getting his entire team involved.
“Tonight I just tried to clear my mind and just tried to have fun and play my game, and I was able to get my stroke back and just play basketball,” Dixon said. “I still have some work to do and need to stay in the gym and keep working hard, but tonight was a great step in the right direction, not just for me, but for our entire team.”
Cummings and Anderson led the Owls with eight rebounds apiece. Romain Henry, who started for the second straight game, was the third Owl in double figures with a career-high 10 points.
The Black and Gold make their 2011-12 home debut on Wednesday, when they host Reinhardt at the KSU Convocation Center at 7 p.m.
