GAME NO. 28
LIPSCOMB (10-16, 5-10) at KENNESAW STATE (3-24, 2-13)
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: Lipscom leads, 10-5
LAST MEETING: Jan. 24, 2013; Lipscomb, 79-72 (OT)
LAST KSU WIN: Mar, 3, 2010; 72-69 (A-Sun Conference Tournament Quarterfinals)
TICKETS |
PROMOTIONS
GAME TIME:
• The Kennesaw State men’s basketball team closes out its regular-season home schedule when it hosts Lipscomb at the KSU Convocation Center Saturday at 2:30 p.m. The contest marks the home finale for seniors Aaron Anderson and Markeith Cummings.
• 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 has advanced to the A-Sun Conference Tournament on two occasions, 2010 and 2011.
• Kennesaw State (3-24, 2-13) is coming off a 64-54 loss to Northern Kentucky on Thursday (Feb. 21).
• Lipscomb is currently 10-16 overall and 5-10 in the A-Sun. The Bison are coming off an 83-58 loss at Mercer on Thursday (Feb. 21).
• 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.
SATURDAY’S PROMOTIONS:
• Saturday is Senior Day and forwards Aaron Anderson and Markeith Cummings will be recognized by the Department of Athletics prior to the game.
• The first 50 fans will receive free $5 gift card to Wingstop.
LIPSCOMB SERIES HISTORY:
• Saturday’s contest marks the 16th meeting all-time between Kennesaw State and Lipscomb in a series that dates back to 2005 and the Bison hold a 10-5 advantage. Lipscomb has won the last five games played between the two programs, with the Owls’ last win (72-69) coming in the 2010 A-Sun Conference Tournament quarterfinals. Lipscomb posted a 79-72-overtime victory over Kennesaw State on Jan. 24 in Nashville.
KENNESAW STATE-LIPSCOMB GAME-BY-GAME RESULTS:
DATE WINNING TEAM H/A SCORE
12/1/05 Kennesaw State H 67-66
2/26/06 Lipscomb A 77-48
1/2/07 Kennesaw State H 66-55
1/25/07 Lipscomb A 73-62
1/26/08 Kennesaw State H 79-72
1/26/09 Lipscomb A 90-78
2/22/09 Lipscomb H 61-44
12/5/09 Kennesaw State H 97-91
2/25/10 Lipscomb A 74-66
3/3/10* Kennesaw State N 72-69
12/18/10 Lipscomb A 99-73
2/24/11 Lipscomb H 82-67
12/3/11 Lipscomb A 75-52
2/25/12 Lipscomb H 74-71
1/24/13 Lipscomb A 79-72 (OT)
*A-Sun Quarterfinals; Macon, Ga.
LAST MEETING:
• Sophomore guard Delbert Love scored a team-high 20 points and senior forward Aaron Anderson added 14 points and 13 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season, but Kennesaw State was unable to pull out a victory as it fell 79-72 in overtime to Lipscomb in an Atlantic Sun Conference game Thursday at Allen Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
• After freshman guard Yonel Brown hit a three-pointer to give the Owls (2-18, 1-7) a 64-63 lead a minute into overtime, the Bison (8-11, 3-5) went on a 10-0 run to take a 73-64 advantage with 1:50 remaining and held on for the win.
• Kennesaw State had an opportunity to win the game in regulation, but Brown’s attempt for a game-winner with seven seconds remaining was off the mark and sent the game in to overtime.
• The Owls held a 61-59 lead following a layup by freshman guard Myles Hamilton with 1:01 remaining in regulation before the Bison tied the score on two free throws by sophomore forward Malcolm Smith with 27 seconds remaining. Smith led all players with 21 points.
• Sophomore guard Carter Sanderson and freshman center Stephen Hurt contributed 15 and 12 points, respectively, for Lipscomb.
• Kennesaw State, which suited just nine players for the game, used an 11-4 run to open the second half and take a 41-40 lead at the 15:29 mark after trailing 36-30 at halftime. It marked the Owls’ first lead since a minute into the game.
• The two teams exchanged leads 11 times and the score was tied on seven occasions in the second half despite several Kennesaw State players in foul trouble and the Owls making just seven of 15 shots from the free throw line over the final 20 minutes of regulation. KSU finished the game 14-for-25 (56.0 percent) from the charity stripe.
• The combination of a difficult night at the foul line and a distinct size disadvantage along the front line hurt Kennesaw State as it was outrebounded, 45-32.
A LOOK AT LIPSCOMB:
• Lipscomb is currently 10-16 overall and 5-10 in the A-Sun. The Bison are coming off an 83-58 loss at Mercer on Thursday (Feb. 21).
• The Bison have four players averaging in double figures and are led by senior guard Deonte Alexander who is averaging 13.4 points a game. Sophomore forward Malcolm Smith (12.5 ppg.), freshman center Stephen Hurt (11.3) and sophomore forward Martin Smith (10.8) also are scoring in double figures.
• Head coach Dave Scott Sanderson is in his 14th season leading the Northern Lipscomb program and has compiled an overall record to date of 220-199 (.525). In 17 seasons as a head coach, Sanderson has an overall career collegiate record of 304-224 (.576).
NORTHERN KENTUCKY RECAP:
• A late second-half run was not enough to overcome a slow start as Kennesaw State came up short in a 64-54 loss to visiting Northern Kentucky in an Atlantic Sun Conference game Thursday at the KSU Convocation Center.
• The Owls (3-24, 2-13) cut a 17-point second-half deficit to 10 points following a three-point play by sophomore guard Delbert Love (Cleveland, OH / St. Edward HS) with three minutes to play and had opportunity to move to within at least eight points following a turnover, but were unable to capitalize on the offensive end.
• Kennesaw State was led by freshman guard Myles Hamilton (Cleveland, OH / St. Edward HS) who scored 11 points, eight of which came in the second half as he went 4-for-7 from the field. Love also finished in double figures, scoring 10 points and collecting a team-high eight rebounds.
• Junior guard Chad Jackson scored a game-high 17 points to lead Northern Kentucky (9-14, 7-8), while senior guard Ethan Faulkner went 10-for-10 from the foul line and finished with 14 points.
• Kennesaw State shot just 28 percent (7-for-25) from the field in the first half and was outscored, 18-6 in the paint. The Owls turned things around in the second half as they went 14-for-26 (53.8 percent) in the final 20 points and were more effective inside, outscoring the Norse 16-10 in the paint.
• Junior walk-on forward Kris Drees (Cumming, Ga. / West Forsyth HS) came off the bench and provided some energy for Kennesaw State as he scored two points and grabbed three rebounds while playing a career-high 11 minutes.
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 added five more versus Northern Kentucky (Feb. 21) to move into fifth place on the A-Sun Conference scoring list with 2,005. 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. Markeith Cummings (Kennesaw State, 2009-Pres.) - 2,005
DELBERT LOVE REACHES 700 CAREER POINTS:
• Sophomore guard Delbert Love scored 10 points against Northern Kentucky on Thursday (Jan. 21) to reach the 700-career points plateau. In 58 career games, Love is averaging 12.1 points a game.
AARON ANDERSON JOINS 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 730 points, the Tucson, Ariz. native ranks eighth on the Owls’ all-time Division I scoring list.
• The senior forward also collected seven rebounds versus Northern Kentucky on Thursday (Feb. 21) to surpass the 700 career rebounds. Anderson has 702 career rebounds and is three shy of moving into a second-place tie with Reggie McKoy (2002-04) on the Owls’ all-time rebounding list. The all-time 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 establish a school-record three-point percentage mark
OWLS AMONG A-SUN CONFERENCE LEADERS
• Senior forward Markeith Cummings ranks second in the Atlantic Sun Conference in scoring with 16.8 points a game.
• Senior forward Aaron Anderson ranks first in the A-Sun in rebounding (8.5) and is ninth in field goal percentage (51.0).
• Sophomore guard Delbert Love is second in the A-Sun in minutes played (36.0) and tied for ninth in assists (2.9).
• Freshman guard Myles Hamilton also is tied for seventh in the A-Sun with 1.4 steals a contest.
• Aaron Anderson ranks No. 1 on the A-Sun active rebounding list with 702 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 23.3 minutes a game while Brown is playing 23.7 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 focuses 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 2,005 points.
• Cummings also ranks second all-time in rebounds (613) since Kennesaw State became a Division I program in 2005.
• Cummings is the all-time KSU leader in free throws made (503) and free throws attempted (738).
• Cummings also ranks No. 2 in points-per-game (17.0), and is first in field goals made (708) and field goal attempts (1,555).
• 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 52.6 percent (309-587).
• Anderson is first in the KSU Division I era with 702 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 intercollegiae athletic during the 2012-13 academic year.
