By: KSU Sports Information
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Game Notes Coach Preston Pregame
KENNESAW, Ga. - The Kennesaw State Owls take to the KSU Convocation Center floor for the fourth straight game on Tuesday evening, when they host the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks at 7:00 p.m.
The Owls (3-23) are coming off of a, 61-57, defeat at the hands of Mercer. While they shot just 32.1 percent from the floor, Lewis Preston's squad had three players score in double figures, led by Spencer Dixon, who had a game-high points, while Markeith Cummings and Delbert Love chipped in 15 apiece.
Bring Your Valentine Out to the Convocation Center: The Owls are offering a Valentine's Special on Tuesday evening, with each fan who buys a ticket receiving a second one free. Tickets are 10 dollars for adults and six dollars for youth in eighth grade and younger. KSU students receive free admission to all Owls home athletic events when they present a valid student ID.
Listen to All of the Action Live: Free, live audio of Tuesday night’s action will be available via KSU All Access, at
www.KSUOwls.com/showcase. Live video streaming will be available through the Atlantic Sun Conference subscription service, www. ASun.tv.
About the Match-Up:
All-Time Series: First Meeting
Owls Record vs. Ohio Valley Conference Schools: 2-3 (Last- 12/22/11 vs. Tennessee Tech (Las Vegas)- L, 81-68)
Notable:
-The Owls and Skyhawks have three common opponents this season, as they have both faced Ohio, Tennessee Tech and Lipscomb.
About the Skyhawks:
-Tennessee-Martin, like the Owls, are winless in 2012, having last been victorious on Dec. 13, 2011 against Bethel, an NAIA program. Their last victory over an NCAA Division I outfit was on Nov. 27, when they took down UAB on the road, 86-83. Overall, they have dropped 15 consecutive contests, 19 in a row against Division I schools.
-The Skyhawks have a blend of youth and experience in their starting lineup, as they customarily start one senior, one junior, two sophomores and a freshman. A pair of underclassmen in sophomore Mike Liabo (14.9 ppg) and freshman Myles Taylor (13.1 ppg) lead the squad in scoring, while Taylor leads the squad with 5.1 rebounds per contest.
-One of the biggest struggles Tennessee-Martin has had this season has been beyond the arc- They enter Tuesday evening shooting 29 percent from long-range, while their opponents have connected on 36.4 percent of their attempts from three-point land.
An Award-Filled Week for the Owls: Last week saw a pair of Owls receive awards from the Atlantic Sun Conference for their recent play. Freshman Delbert Love, who scored 19 points in each of the Owls two games in the first week of February, was named the A-Sun Newcomer of the Week on Feb.7, the first such award of the season for him. Love’s teammate, junior Aaron Anderson, would follow that up the next day by earning the inaugural A-Sun Crons Achiever Award. The honor will be awarded monthly to the Atlantic Sun Conference athlete who has the most notable achievement during the past month, as voted on by the fans. Anderson beat out the other seven candidates this month by receiving 54 percent of the fan vote, having notched five double-doubles during January, and a total of six double-digit rebound games. He also scored in double figures in seven out of 12 games during the month.
Despite a Loss, Friday Night Was Special: The Owls dropped a, 61-57, decision to Mercer on Friday evening, but the game saw a record-crowd of 4,991 fans pack the KSU Convocation Center. Those in attendance were treated to the first playing of the KSU Fight Song, which was released to the public last week.
And During The Game, They Made Free Throws: Despite shooting just 18-for-56 from the field (.321) while Mercer shot 24-for-43 (.558), the Owls stayed in it to the very end, laregly on the strength of Markeith Cummings and Delbert Love, who were 7-for-8 and 8-for-9 from the free throw line, respectively. Their 15-for-18 overall performance from the charity stripe (.833) was their best of the season.
Fair Fight on the Boards: The Owls were out-rebounded in 16 of their first 20 contests this season, but have been much tougher on the glass as of late. Including their 31-29 advantage on the boards on Friday night vs. Mercer, Kennesaw State has now out-rebounded three of their last six opponents.
A Terrific Trio: Entering Friday, Markeith Cummings (15.5 ppg), Spencer Dixon (13.2 ppg) and Delbert Love (12.3 ppg) are averaging a combined 41.0 points per contest, making them the highest scoring trio in the A-Sun. Cummings (5.4 rpg) also has his hand in another two-man act, as he and Aaron Anderson’s A-Sun-leading 9.0 rpg make them tied for the highest rpg among A-Sun teammates, along with Torrey Craig (7.8 rpg) and Ricardo Glenn (6.6 rpg).
The Elder Statesmen: Cummings and Dixon enter Tuesday ranked first and second among active A-Sun players in career points with 1,528 and 1,228, respectively. Dixon is the active career leader in steals (170) and third in assists (378), while Cummings is fourth in rebounds (483).
Delbert Can Fill It Up: Owls freshman Delbert Love enters Tuesday first in the A-Sun among freshman and 12th overall with 12.3 points per game. He has shown an ability to score consistently, as he has been in double figures the last six games and has scored 20 or more three times during his inaugural campaign.
