By: KSU Sports Information
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MORAGA, Calif. - The Kennesaw State Owls will attempt to snap a five-game slide on Monday evening, when they visit the Saint Mary's Gaels at McKeon Pavilion at 10 p.m. EST in the second game of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic. Fans can listen to all of the action live on KSU All Access.
The Owls (2-7) will be looking to bounce back from a pair of games in the state of Missouri in which they dropped contests in convincing fashion, most recently to Missouri State on Saturday, 78-55.
Saint Mary's (8-1) is most recently coming off of a, 77-52, victory over Bethune Cookman on Saturday, a potential opponent for the Owls this coming week in the latter stage of the Las Vegas Classic.
Listen to All of the Action Live: Monday's game can be listened to, free-of-charge, on KSU All Access at www.KSUOwls.com/showcase. Scott Lipsky and Brian Harper will have all the action beginning at 9:45 p.m. EST.
Video streaming will also be available via "Gaels Live," a subscription service available at www.SMCGaels.com. SMCGaels.com will also provide live stats of the game.
Last Game Before Vegas: Monday’s game is the Owls second game in the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic. The four-game, eight-team event is made up of two campus site games followed by a pair of games at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Dec. 22 and 23.
A Night of Firsts For the Owls: Monday evening will mark the first time since they moved to NCAA Division I that the Black and Gold will face a team from California and/ or play a game in the Golden State. The last time they played in California was in the championship game of the 2004 NCAA Division II tournament, defeating Southern Indiana to win the title. They played their only California-based opponent in program history in the semifinals, defeating Humboldt State. The game also marks their first-ever against a team from the West Coast Conference.
Key Stats:
-It will be crucial that the Owls tighten up their defense on Monday evening. During their last two games, they allowed the Missouri Tigers and Missouri State Bears to shoot 60.0 and 59.6 percent, respectively. The unsavory back-to-back performances marked the first time since the 2008-09 season that two consecutive opponents shot better than 55 percent from the field.
-The Black and Gold have done a very good job taking care of the ball so far this season. Heading into Monday, the Owls have averaged just 14.2 turnovers per game, which is the second lowest figure in the Atlantic Sun Conference. They peaked in that department on Saturday, committing just seven turovers, their lowest total since Mar. 3, 2010.
-Owls head coach Lewis Preston has been very consistent with four-fifths of his starting lineup as of late, as Markeith Cummings, Spencer Dixon, Delbert Love and Aaron Anderson have been on the floor during the opening tip for each of the last five games. That fifth spot, however, has been a lot more volatile, with Romain Henry, Brandon Dawson and Mirza Sabic rotating in and out of that role over the last three games.
About Saint Mary's:
-The Gaels have played seven of their nine games this season at home, and are 7-0. They carry a 34-4 record at the George McKeon Pavilion since the beginning of the 2009-10 season.
-Saint Mary’s is led by a pair of 2011 All-WCC honorees in senior Rob Jones and junior Matthew Dellavedova. They have gotten off to a strong start this season despite losing the 2011 WCC Player of the Year in Mickey McConnell.
-Head Coach Randy Bennett’s squad is one of just eight teams in NCAA Division I to win 25 or more games in each of the last four seasons.
-The Gaels are currently receiving votes in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, and are No. 10 in the CollegeInsider. com Mid-Major Top 25 Poll.
