GAME NO. 27
NORTHERN KENTUCKY (8-14, 6-8) at KENNESAW STATE (3-23, 2-12)
DATE: Feb. 21, 2013
TIME: 7:00 p.m. (ET)
SITE: KSU Convocation Center (4,600)
LOCATION: Kennesaw, Ga.
LIVE VIDEO: A-Sun TV
LIVE AUDIO: KSUOwls.com
LIVE STATS: KSUOwlscom
SERIES RECORD: Northern Kentucky leads, 2-0
LAST MEETING: Jan. 26, 2013; NKU, 64-53
LAST KSU WIN: NA
KENNESAW STATE NOTES | NORTHERN KENTUCKY NOTES | TICKETS | PROMOTIONS
GAME TIME:
• The Kennesaw State men’s basketball team begins its final regular-season homestand of the season when it welcomes Atlantic Sun Conference foe Northern Kentucky to the KSU Convocation Center for its intital visit on Thursday (Feb. 21) beginning at 7 p.m.
• The game will be streamed live on the Internet through A-Sun TV with Nathan McCreary and Brian Katrek describing the action. A live audio broadcast also will be available at www.KSUOwls.com.
• The Owls are in their eighth year as a member of the A-Sun after transitioning to Division I in 2005. Kennesaw State is seeking its third conference tournament appearance. The Owls previously advanced to the A-Sun Tournament in 2009 and 2010. The top eight teams following regular-season play advance to the tournament that is slated for March 6-9 in Macon, Ga.
• Kennesaw State (3-23, 2-12) is coming off a 79-67 loss at USC Upsate on Saturday (Feb. 16).
• Northern Kentucky is currently 8-14 overall and 6-8 in the A-Sun. The Norse has lost three in a row and is coming off a 62-46 home loss to Stetson on Saturday (Feb. 16).
• Head Coach Lewis Preston is in his second season guiding the Kennesaw State program after spending the previous three seasons (2008-11) as an assistant coach at Penn State.
THURSDAY’S PROMOTIONS:
• The first 500 fans will receive a free iPad/Tablet cover. Additionally, the first 200 students will receive a free Owls snapback hats and the first 550 fans will receive a spirit towel sponsored by the Wellness Center.
• Halftime will be dedicated to all Kennesaw State student-athletes who posses a 3.0 or better grade-point average as they will be recognized by the Department of Athletics.
NORTHERN KENTUCKY SERIES HISTORY:
• Thursday’s contest marks the third all-time meeting between Kennesaw State and Northern Kentucky in a series that backs to 2003 and the Norse hold a 2-0 advantage. The first-ever meeting between the two programs came in 2003-04 season opener at the Walt Disney Tip-Off Classic in Orlando, Fla., and Nothern Kentucky came away with a 78-65 victory. The two teams met for the first time at the Division I level on Jan. 26, 2013, and the Norse posted a 64-53 win in Highland Heights, Ky.
KENNESAW STATE-NORTHERN KENTUCKY GAME-BY-GAME RESULTS:
DATE WINNING TEAM H/A/N SCORE
11/7/03 *Northern Kentucky N 78-65
1/26.13 Northern Kentucky A 64-53
*Walt Disney Tip-Off Classic; Orlando, Fla.
LAST MEETING:
• Playing with a short bench, Kennesaw State turned in a strong second-half effort but was unable to overcome a 14-point deficit and fell 64-53 to Northern Kentucky in an Atlantic Sun Conference game Saturday at the Bank of Kentucky Arena in Highland Heights, Ky.
• The Owls (2-19, 1-8) were led by senior forward Aaron Anderson, who scored 14 points and collected 10 rebounds to record his third straight double-double and eighth of the season.
• Senior guard Eshaunte Jones scored 25 points to lead a trio of NKU (6-11, 4-5) players in double figures. Freshman guard Tyler White contributed 13 points, junior guard Chad Jackson added 10 points and eight rebounds, and senior forward Ernest Watson totaled four points and a game-high 12 rebounds for the Norse.
• After leading 31-20 at halftime, Northern Kentucky increased its lead to 35-20 on a three-pointer by Jones 12 seconds into the second half. Kennesaw State then responded with a 9-0 run to slice the deficit to 34-29 following a three-point play by Anderson with 16:03 to play.
• The Owls continued to chip away at the Norse lead and eventually got within three points at 44-41 when Anderson made one of two free throws with 6:05 remaining.
• However, the lack of depth by Kennesaw State, which had just eight players in uniform, eventually became a factor when Anderson picked up his fourth foul and was forced to the bench with 4:56 remaining and the Owls trailing, 46-41.
• With Anderson on the sideline as Kennesaw State’s main inside scoring option and top rebounder, Northern Kentucky was able to maintain its lead and eventually increase it to 51-44 with 2:53 to play.
A LOOK AT NORTHERN KENTUCKY:
• Northern Kentucky is currently 8-14 overall and 6-8 in the A-Sun. The Norse has lost three in a row and is coming off a 62-46 home loss to Stetson on Saturday (Feb. 16).
• The Norse has two players scoring in double figures and is led by senior forward/guard Eshaunte Jones, who is averaging 15.8 points a contest. Sophomore forward Jalen Billups is second on the club with 10.3 points a game and is averaging a team-best 5.7 rebounds a game.
• Head coach Dave Bezold is in his ninth season leading the Northern Kentucky program and has compiled an overall record to date of 169-93 (.645). During his tenure as head coach, Bezold built a perennial Division II national title contender and regular participant in the NCAA Tournament.
USC UPSTATE RECAP:
• The Kennesaw State men’s basketball team was unable to take advantage of a 28-point effort by senior forward Markeith Cummings (Birmingham, Ala. / Beach HS) and a 12-point halftime lead as it fell 79-67 to USC Upstate in an Atlantic Sun Conference game Saturday afternoon at the Hodge Center in Spartanburg, S.C.
• The 28 points by Cummings gave him 2,000 for his career as he became the sixth player in A-Sun Conference history to reach the milestone. The KSU senior established the feat in 117 career games after 9-for-18 from the field and 8-for-9 from the foul line. Cummings is averaging 17.1 points for his career.
• After leading 39-27 at the break, the Owls (3-23, 2-12) were outscored 52-28 in the second half as the Spartans (14-14, 8-7) shot a sizzling 72.7 percent (16-for-22) from the field and held a 22-9 advantage on the boards over the final 20 minutes.
• USC Upstate was led by A-Sun scoring leader Torrey Craig, who recorded a double-double by scoring 24 points and collecting 12 rebounds. Forward Ricardo Glenn contributed 21 points, six rebounds and seven assists, while Ty Greene and Adrian Rodgers added 12 and 10 points, respectively.
• Craig and Glenn went a combined 15-for-21 from the field, including 10-for-12 in the second half, and scored 29 of their combined 45 points in the second half.
• Kennesaw State began the game well as it led the entire first half on the strength of 45.2 percent (14-for-31) shooting from the field and 16 points from Cummings.
• However, the Spartans opened the second half with a 22-8 run over the first eight and half minutes and took their first lead of the game at 49-47 following a basket by Craig with 12:32 to play. USC Upstate never surrendered the lead the remainder of the game.
• Freshman Nigel Pruitt (Potomac, Md. / Bullis School) scored 10 points to for his third straight double-digit scoring game.
CUMMINGS REACHES 2,000 CAREER POINTS:
• Senior forward Markeith Cummings, Kennesaw State’s all-time career scoring leader with 2,000 points became just the sixth player in A-Sun Conference history to reach the 2,000-point plateau following a 28-point effort at USC Upstate on Saturday (Feb. 16). He is two points shy of tying Lipscomb’s Adam Hodzic (2007-11) for fifth place on the conference’s all-time career scoring list. Willie Jackson (1980-84), who played at Centenary, is the A-Sun’s all-time leading scorer with 2,535 career points.
A-SUN CONFERENCE 2,000-POINT CLUB:
1. Willie Jackson (Centenary; 1980-84) - 2,535
2. James Florence (Mercer; 2006-10) - 2,287
3. Jonathan Rodriguez (Campbell; 2006-10) - 2,153
4. Courtney Pigram (ETSU, 2005-09) - 2,043
5. Adam Hodzic (Lipscomb, 2007-11) - 2,002
6. Markeith Cummings (Kennesaw State, 2009-Pres.) - 2,000
DELBERT LOVE NEARING 700 CAREER POINTS:
• Sophomore guard Delbert Love scored 15 points against USC Upstate on Thursday (Jan. 17) to surpass 600 career points. With 690 points, the Cleveland, Ohio resident ranks 10th on Kennesaw State’s all-time career scoring list during the Division I era and is 10 points shy of reaching the 700-point plateau. In 57 games, Love is averaging 12.1 points a game.
AARON ANDERSON APPROACHING 700-700 CLUB:
• Senior forward Aaron Anderson, who is in his third season at Kennesaw State, surpassed the 700-point plateau career after scoring eight points against North Florida on Thursday (Feb. 7). With 723 points, the Tucson, Ariz. native ranks eighth on the Owls’ all-time Division I scoring list.
• The senior forward also is five rebounds shy of reaching 700 rebounds for his career. He currently has 695 and is 12 boards shy of moving into a tied for second place on the program’s all-time rebounding list. The all-time Division I rebounding record is 734 held by Isreal Brown (1989-93). Anderson currently ranks as the Owls’ all-time Division I rebounder.
SEEING DOUBLE:
• Senior forward Anderson has produced nine double-doubles this season, and ranks first among Atlantic Sun Conference active players with 23 career double-doubles. He has totaled 12 double-digit rebounding games.
A-SUN CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS:
• Senior forward Markeith Cummings, Kennesaw State’s all-time leading scorer, was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week (Jan. 15) for the fourth time of his career after averaging 28.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals in two games at Jacksonville and North Florida on Jan. 10 and 12, respectively.
• Senior forward Aaron Anderson received the recognition for the first time in his career on Nov. 13 after a double-double in the opening two games of the season as he contributed 14.0 points and 11.5 rebounds a contest while shooting 70.6 percent from the field during road games at Tennessee (Nov. 9) and South Carolina State (Nov. 12).
A DAY FOR THE RECORD BOOKS:
• In addition to handing second-year head coach Lewis Preston his first Atlantic Sun Conference victory, Kennesaw State established several program records during the Owls’ 83-75 win over Mercer on Jan. 5. The list includes:
• The Owls set program single-game records for free throws made (38) and free throws attempted (55).
• Kennesaw State went 9-for-14 (64.3 percent) to established to establish a school-record three-point percentage mark
OWLS AMONG A-SUN CONFERENCE LEADERS
• Senior forward Markeith Cummings leads the Atlantic Sun Conference in scoring with 17.3 points a game.
• Senior forward Aaron Anderson ranks first in the A-Sun in rebounding (8.5) and is 10th in field goal percentage (51.1).
• Sophomore guard Delbert Love is second in the A-Sun in minutes played (35.9) and tied for eighth in assists (3.0).
• Freshman guard Myles Hamilton also is tied for eighth in the A-Sun with 1.4 steals a contest.
• Aaron Anderson ranks No. 1 on the A-Sun active rebounding list with 695 career rebounds.
FRESHMEN SEE SIGNIFICANT PLAYING TIME:
• The Kennesaw State roster includes four freshmen and all making contributions. Guards Myles Hamilton and Yonel Brown are both averaging over 20 minutes a contest. Hamilton is averaging 23.4 minutes a game while Brown is playing 23.5 minutes a contest.
KENNESAW STATE SIGNS JONES DURING EARLY SIGNING PERIOD:
• Continuing to build for the future, head coach Lewis Preston signed local product Jordan Jones to a national letter-of-intent earlier this week.
• Jones is a 6-8, 205-pound combo forward who will play his senior season at nearby Saint Francis High in Alpharetta. He averaged 11 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four blocks a game while helping Furtah Prep (Acworth, Ga.) to an undefeated regular season.
• Jones earned first team All-Georgia Independent School Association (GISA) honors and was selected to play in the Under Armour Grind Session in Atlanta last June. The event features many of the top high school prospects in the region and focusses on skill development and concludes with games.
NATE RUCKER ADDED TO ROSTER
• Junior forward Nate Rucker (Memphis Tenn. / Southwest Tennessee CC) joined the Kennesaw State roster on Dec. 17 and is enrolled in classes for the spring semester. A 6-6, 240-forward, Rucker began his collegiate career at Northern Illinois before playing at Southwest Tennessee Community College last season. During his freshman season, Rucker appeared in 30 games, starting 29, and averaged 7.1 points and 4.1 rebounds a contest.
• Rucker shot a team-high 53.7 percent from the field and scored in double figures 12 times. He also produced two double-digit rebounding games.
• Rucker will practice with the Owls for the remainder of the season and will have two years of eligibility remaining beginning with the 2013-14 campaign. He will be eligible to play at the conclusion of the fall semester in December.
EIGHT NEWCOMERS JOIN ROSTER FOR 2012-13:
• Second-year head coach Lewis Preston has added eight newcomers to the program in 2012-13.
• The group includes freshmen Yonel Brown (Lawrenceville, Ga. / Berkmar HS), Myles Hamilton (Cleveland, Ohio / St. Edward HS), Cole Hobbs (Atlanta, Ga. / Greater Atlanta Christian School), Jordan Montgomery (Orlando, Fla. / Orlando Christian Prep), Bernard Morena (Abidjan, Ivory Coast / Auburn) and Nigel Pruitt (Potomac, Md. / Bullis School)
• Junior Kris Drees (Cumming, Ga. / West Forsyth HS) joined the team this fall after making the club as a walk-on, while sophomore Willy Kouassi (Abidjan, Ivory Coast / Auburn) is a highly-regarded transfer.
PRESEASON HONORS:
• Senior forward Markeith Cummings, a three-time second team all-conference selection, was named to the Atlantic Sun Conference preseason all-conference team.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS:
• Senior forward Markeith Cummings is Kennesaw State’s all-time scoring leader with 2,000 points.
• Cummings also ranks second all-time in rebounds (609) since Kennesaw State became a Division I program in 2005.
• Cummings is the all-time KSU leader in free throws made (502) and free throws attempted (736).
• Cummings also ranks No. 2 in points-per-game (17.1), and is first in field goals made (706) and field goal attempts (1,548).
• Cummings holds the top two single season marks for free throws made (158 in 2010-11 and 134 in 2009-10).
• Senior Aaron Anderson holds the KSU Division I school career field goal percentage record of 52.7 percent (306-581).
• Anderson is first in the KSU Division I era with 695 rebounds and rebounds-per-game (7.9).
2011-12 YEAR IN REVIEW:
• The 2011-12 season marked a challenging year for first-year head coach Lewis Preston and the Owls as Kennesaw State posted a 3-28 overall record and went 0-18 in A-Sun Conference play.
• The Owls recorded a 65-59 victory at Chattanooga on Nov. 18, 2011, to reward Preston with his first collegiate win.
•Junior forward Markeith Cummings was a second team A-Sun all-conference selection and rookie guard Delbert Love was a unanimous selection to the conference’s all-freshman team.
• Junior forward Markeith Cummings led the Owls in scoring and ranked second in the A-Sun after averaging 15.4 points a game. Cummings produced 25 double-digit scoring games and led the team in scoring 12 times.
•Junior forward Aaron Anderson led the A-Sun in rebounding after averaging 9.0 rebounds a game and contributed 8.9 points a contest. He scored in double-digits 15 times, had 14 double-digit rebounding games, and his 280 rebounds established an Owls’ Division I era single-season record.
• Freshman Delbert Love made an immediate in his first season with the Owls as he averaged 12.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals a contest. He started all 31 games and led all A-Sun Conference freshmen in scoring with 36.5 mpg.
PROGRAM HISTORY:
• The 2012-13 season marks the 28th year of basketball at Kennesaw State. The 1985-86 campaign marked the first season of Owls basketball and the team posted a 7-21 overall record, including a 6-12 mark in the Georgia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, while competing as an NAIA member.
• Kennesaw State played nine seasons as an NAIA member, compiled a 146-143 (.505) all-time record and produced six winning seasons.
• Kennesaw State moved to the NCAA Division II level for the 1994-95 season and accumulated a 198-124 (.615) overall record in 11 years.
• Head Coach Tony Ingle led the Owls to their lone national championship in 2004 after the team compiled a program-best 35-4 (.897) record. Kennesaw State defeated Southern Indiana, 84-59, in the national championship game on March 27, 2004 in Bakersfield, Calif.
• Kennesaw State moved to the Division I level for the 2005-06 season and has compiled a 66-227 (.225) record in seven seasons. The Owls’ best year at the D-I level was the 2006-07 season when the club posted a 13-18 (.419) mark.
• Kennesaw State’s signature Division I win was an 80-63 victory over Georgia Tech before a KSU Convocation Center record-crowd of 4,784 on Nov. 15, 2011.
• Lewis Preston was named the fourth head coach in program history on April 16, 2011.
WHAT’S NEW?
• This past summer, the Kennesaw State Department of Athletics, as part of an overall re-branding initiative, signed a multi-year contract to have its 17 intercollegiate athletics teams outfitted in Adidas apparel and footwear.
• Kennesaw State Athletics also introduced a whole new family of logos that appear on team apparel, facilities and a re-designed www.ksuowls.com athletics website.
• The KSU Convocation Center also has a refurbished floor, sparkling new video board with sponsorship signage on the south end, a ribbon board on the north side under the hospitality suite, a new LED scorer’s table and media tables highlight the atmospheric changes to the seven-year old facility.
ABOUT KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY:
• Kennesaw State University is the third-largest university in Georgia, offering more than 80 graduate and undergraduate degrees, including doctorates in education, business and nursing and a new Ph.D in international conflict management. A member of the 35-unit University System of Georgia, Kennesaw State is a comprehensive, residential institution with a growing student population of more than 24,600 from 130 countries.
Kennesaw State is celebrating 30 years of intercollegiate athletics during the 2012-13 academic year.
