By: KSU Sports Information
Box Score
Photo Gallery
Postgame Notes
KENNESAW, Ga. – Mirza Sabic had a game and career-high 15 points off the bench to help pace the Kennesaw State Owls on Thursday evening, but the Belmont Bruins used an early run to pull away, eventually topping the Owls, 90-50, at the KSU Convocation Center. Markeith Cummings matched Sabic with 15 points on the evening.
The Owls (3-27, 0-17 Atlantic Sun Conference) trailed just, 11-6, with 14:49 remaining in the first half, but would miss eight consecutive shots while Belmont (23-7, 15-2 A-Sun) went on a, 17-0, run, to make it, 28-6, with 8:03 to go. The Bruins would go on a 9-0 run to end the first half with a, 46-15 advantage, by way of 16-for-27 shooting (.593).
Lewis Preston's squad would do all it could to cut into the deficit after halftime, but despite preventing any big runs by the Bruins for a good portion of the second half, steadily saw the margin grow wider, at one points allowing 11 unanswered points to fall behind by 43, tying their largest deficit of the night. Such was the theme of a night in which the Black and Gold shot just 29.3 percent from the floor, only the second time this season in which they shot less than 30 percent.
"I'm happy with the effort that Markeith and Mirza gave us tonight, but otherwise we didn't hit open shots, and Belmont did," Preston commented. "It's about doing the little things, we took the same number of shots as Belmont did in the first half, they just made 10 more than us. We had done a good job over the last few games of hitting open shots, and tonight we did not. I have to give a lot of credit to Belmont, though, they did a nice job."
Cummings and Sabic would score 11 and 10 points apiece for the Owls in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to stem the tide, as Belmont, who clinched the A-Sun regular season title and at least a trip to the National Invitation Tournament with the on Thursday, continued their hot shooting after halftime, connecting on 18 of their 29 attempts from the floor.
Four Bruins scored in double figures on the evening, and were led by senior reserve Scott Saunders, who had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the game’s lone double-double. The Owls Aaron Anderson led the squad with seven rebounds, but shot 1-for-10 on the evening despite coming in with the league's third highest field goal percentage. His struggles were mirrored by Spencer Dixon, who was 1-for-11. Sabic (6-for-11) and Cummings (5-for-9) were the two Owls to buck that trend in front of a crowd of 1,047
Kennesaw State plays their season finale on Saturday at 5 p.m. when they face the Lipscomb Bisons. Seniors Spencer Dixon, Romain Henry and Brandon Sewell will be honored prior to tip-off.
