MBB: Coleman Puts in 12 during 95-67 Loss at Cincinnati

Forward Led KSU in Points and Rebounds

11/29/2013 7:29:00 PM

By: By Brandon Scardigli

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CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Kennesaw State men's basketball team put up a valiant effort at the University of Cincinnati on Friday night, but ultimately fell, 95-67, in front of a season-high 6,627 fans in Fifth Third Arena.

Sophomore Orlando Coleman made it back-to-back games in double-figure scoring as the forward led the 3-6 Owls in both points with 12 and in rebounds with his seven against the 6-0 Bearcats.

"For the first 14 minutes we played with the effort we want to see," Kennesaw State head coach Lewis Preston said. "But the final six minutes of the first half and the first four of the second half, we didn't get that same effort and that's the story of the game. We have to figure out how to put together a full 40 minutes for us to be successful."

The Owls came out fearless, winning the opening tip and immediately going up by two with a Bernard Morena layup. Cincinnati then took the lead on an and-1 attempt from Sean Kilpatrick before Willy Kouassi swung the game back in favor of KSU with a five-footer to put the Owls up by one.

After the Bearcats took a four-point lead with five minutes played, Delbert Love sent in his first three-pointer of the game to put the Owls back within one at 10-9. A Cincinnati run then put the home team up by eight before the Owls strung together a 6-0 scoring streak of their own off of threes from Love and Tanner Wozniak, putting KSU back within four points.

With just over five minutes remaining in the first and the Bearcats holding a 12-point edge, 35-23, Morena connected from beyond the arc to bring the lead down to single digits once again before UC ended the half on an 11-1 run, sending it into the locker room at 48-24.

The Bearcats came out of the break scoring the first five points of the half, extending their lead to 53-28 before KSU took the next six points off of a pair of Coleman free throws and field goals from Coleman and Andrew Osemhen to make it 53-34 Cincinnati.

UC answered with a three and held onto a 20-point lead the rest of the way, going on to win it by a final of 95-67.

Wozniak was the only other Owl besides Coleman to finish in double-digits with his 10 points, putting in two of KSU's seven three-pointers during the game as did the junior Love to go with his team-best three assists.

As a team, the Owls were good on 23 of their 56 field goal attempts, giving them a 41 percent success rate while going 37 percent from beyond the arc.

KSU will continue the Ohio portion of its seven-game road trip this Sunday, Dec. 1 at 2 p.m. ET as the Owls face Kent State.

To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State men's basketball news follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and @KSUOwlsMBB or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook.

Season tickets are currently available for all the home court action for the Owls and can be purchased by following the link here.

-#GoKSUOwls-

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