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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After playing a triple overtime game at Jacksonville on Thursday, stamina was bound to be factor when Kennesaw State took on North Florida Saturday at the UNF Arena.
For 30 minutes, the Owls (2-15, 1-4) maintained their endurance and even held a four-point lead midway through the second half. However, behind the hot shooting of senior guard Parker Smith, the Ospreys (8-11, 3-2) went on a 17-3 run over a five-minute period to build a 10-point lead and eventually register an 81-72 Atlantic Sun Conference victory.
With Kennesaw State leading 53-49 following a basket by senior forward
Markeith Cummings with 11:35 remaining, Smith answered with a three-pointer that sparked the run as 15 of North Florida’s points came from beyond the arc, including nine by Smith.
Smith scored a game-high 32 points on 10 of 18 shooting, including 8 of 12 from behind the arc, to pace North Florida. His eight three-pointers were a season-high against Kennesaw State, and the 11 three-pointers by the Ospreys were the most by an opponent this year.
Travis Wallace contributed 26 points while Beau Beech finished with 10, including a key three-pointer during North Florida’s second-half run.
For the second consecutive game, Cummings led the Owls in scoring with 28 points, while freshman forward
Nigel Pruitt scored a career-high tying 10 points. Cummings’ performance came on the heels of playing a career-high 54 minutes at Jacksonville on Thursday.
Despite shooting 55.6 percent from the field in the first half, the Owls trailed 38-32 at halftime. Kennesaw State was hurt by 14 turnovers that led to 16 North Florida points.
The Owls came out in the second half and kept the score within five points before going on an a mini-run and taking their first lead of the game at 48-46 following a three-pointer by Pruitt with 15:23 to play.
Kennesaw State is next in action on Thursday when it returns home to take on USC Upstate at the KSU Convocation Center beginning at 7 p.m.
Kennesaw State is celebrating 30 years of intercollegiate athletics during the 2012-13 academic year.
