GAME NO. 24
JACKSONVILLE (12-13, 7-5) at KENNESAW STATE (2-21, 1-10)
DATE: Feb. 9
TIME: 2:30 p.m. (ET)
SITE: KSU Convocation Center (4,600)
LOCATION: Kennesaw, Ga.
LIVE VIDEO: A-Sun TV
LIVE AUDIO: KSUOwls.com
LIVE STATS: KSUOwls.com
SERIES RECORD: Jacksonville leads, 12-3
LAST MEETING: Jan. 10, 2013; JU; 99-92 (3OT)
LAST KSU WIN: Jan. 13, 2007; 83-76
KENNESAW STATE NOTES | JACKSONVILLE NOTES | TICKETS | PROMOTIONS
GAME TIME:
• The Kennesaw State men’s basketball team returns to action on Saturday when it hosts Jacksonville in an Atlantic Sun Conference game at the KSU Convocation Center beginning at 2:30 p.m.
• The first 500 fans entering the KSU Convocation Center will receive a free foam finger sponsored by LGE Credit Union. It is also Gymnastics Day with a gymnastics exhibition scheduled for halftime.
• Live video will be available at A-Sun TV with Nathan McCreary and Brian Katrek calling the action. The pair also will provide an audio webcast at 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 (2-21, 1-10) is coming off a 60-52 setback to North Florida on Thursday (Feb. 7).
• Jacksonville is currently 12-13 overall and tied for third place in the A-Sun with a 7-5 record. The Dolphins have lost three out of their last four games, including two straight, and are coming off 67-64 overtime loss at Mercer on Thursday (Feb. 7).
• 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.
JACKSONVILLE SERIES HISTORY:
• Saturday’s contest marks the 16th all-time meeting between Kennesaw State and Jacksonville in a series that backs to 2006 and the Dolphins hold a 12-3 advantage. Jacksonville has won 12 straight in the series, including a 99-92 triple-overtime victory on Jan. 10 in Jacksonville. The Owls’ last win in the series was an 83-76 victory Jan. 13, 2007 in Kennesaw.
KENNESAW STATE-JACKSONVILLE GAME-BY-GAME RESULTS:
DATE WINNING TEAM H/A/N SCORE
1/16/06 Kennesaw State H 88-64
2/5/06 Kennesaw State A 80-76
1/13/07 Kennesaw State H 83-76
2/10/07 Jacksonville A 76-72
1/10/08 Jacksonville H 73-56
2/23/08 Jacksonville A 84-79
1/11/09 Jacksonville A 82-61
2/9/09 Jacksonville H 59-56
2/18/10 Jacksonville H 75-67
1/4/10 Jacksonville A 91-52
1/22/11 Jacksonville H 87-59
2/18/11 Jacksonville A 75-60
1/21/12 Jacksonville H 66-50
2/20/12 Jacksonville A 73-71
1/10/13 Jacksonville A 99-92 (3OT)
LAST MEETING:
• With victory in its grasp on three different occasions, the Kennesaw State men’s basketball team was unable to seal the win and suffered its toughest loss of the season, falling 99-92 to Jacksonville in triple overtime during Atlantic Sun Conference play Thursday (Jan. 10) at Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville.
• The loss overshadowed a milestone night for senior forward Markeith Cummings, who scored a game-high 29 points and moved into 10th place on the A-Sun’s all-time scoring list with 1,873 points. Sophomore guard Delbert Love contributed 25 points, while senior forward Aaron Anderson recorded his fifth double-double of the season, scoring 12 points and collecting 11 rebounds.
• Junior guard Keith McDougald came up big multiple times late in the game while leading Jacksonville (8-10, 3-2) with 25 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. He was one of five Dolphins, including four starters, who finished in double figures.
• Guard Jarvis Haywood scored 18 points while forward Glenn Powell chipped in with 16, and guard Russell Powell and forward Kordarlo Fleming added 13 and 10 points, respectively.
• After trailing 42-34 at halftime and down 57-47 with 12:22 remaining, the Dolphins rallied to take their first lead of the second half at 61-60 with 6:08 to play in regulation. The two teams would exchange leads seven times before the Owls took a one-point lead on a layup by freshman guard Myles Hamilton and increased their advantage to three points at 70-67 on two made free throws by Cummings with 16 seconds to play.
• However, Kennesaw State was unable to hold the lead as McDougald hit a three-pointer with 10 seconds left on the clock and freshman guard Yonel Brown’s shot to win the game was off the mark forcing overtime.
• After trailing by six points at 76-70 midway through the first overtime, the Owls rallied and took an 81-80 lead on a three-point basket by Love with 1:06 remaining in the period. Following a missed Jacksonville shot, Kennesaw State came away with the rebound and had an opportunity to take time off the clock and extend the lead. However, a turnover gave the ball back to Jacksonville and Russell Powell made one of two free throws to knot the score at 81-81 and force a second overtime.
• Heading into the second overtime period and with Brown and Hamilton on the bench after fouling out, Kennesaw State battled and had an opportunity to win the game late in the period, but Anderson was able to make just one of two free throws with four seconds remaining and the game went into a third overtime tied 86-86.
• In the final overtime, Jacksonville scored the first points of the period and never trailed, building a seven-point lead at 95-88 on a layup by McDougald to seal the victory.
A LOOK AT JACKSONVILLE:
• Jacksonville is currently 12-13 overall and tied for third place in the A-Sun with a 7-5 record. The Dolphins have lost three out of their last four games, including two straight, and are coming off 67-64 overtime loss at Mercer on Thursday (Feb. 7).
• Jacksonville is led by junior guard Keith McDougald, who is averaging 12.4 points a game and is joined in double figures by freshman guard Jarvis Haywood, who is contributing 10.3 points a contest.
• Jacksonville is averaging 68.8 points a game while allowing 72.5 points a contest.
• Head coach Cliff Warren is in his eighth season leading the Jacksonville program and has compiled an overall record to date of 112-127 (.469) while leading the Dolphins to two Atlantic Sun Conference championships and three (2, NIT, 1 CIT) postseason appearances.
NORTH FLORIDA RECAP:
• Playing off a passionate home crowd, the Kennesaw State men’s basketball team jumped out to an early lead, but was unable sustain that energy for a full 40 minutes and fell 60-52 to visiting North Florida in an Atlantic Sun Conference game before a crowd of 2,148 at the KSU Convocation Center on Thursday.
• The Owls (2-21, 1-10) took a 9-0 lead to open the game before the Ospreys (10-15, 5-7) responded with a 20-3 run over a seven-minute span to build a 20-12 advantage with 7:39 remaining in the first half and maintained the lead the rest of the game.
• The loss overshadowed an electric atmosphere as both end zones of the KSU Convocation Center were filled to capacity by members of Kennesaw State fraternities and sororities who took part in the annual Greek Night.
• The Owls were led by senior forwards Markeith Cummings (Birmingham, Ala. / Beach HS), and Aaron Anderson (Tucson, Ariz. / Central Arizona College). Cummings, who entered the game tied for first in the A-Sun Conference with North Florida’s Parker Smith at 17.0 points a game, matched his season average. Anderson, who scored eight points to go over 700 for his career (701), registered a game-high 12 rebounds, recording his fifth straight double-digit rebounding game and 10th of the season.
• Smith led North Florida with 14 points while junior forward Travis Wallace contributed 13 for the Ospreys.
DELBERT LOVE SURPASSES 600 CAREER POINTS:
• Sophomore guard Delbert Love scored 15 points against USC Upstate on Thursday (Jan. 17) to surpass 600 career points. With 648 points, the Cleveland, Ohio resident ranks 10th on Kennesaw State’s all-time career scoring list during the Division I era. In 54 games, Love is averaging 12.0 points a game.
AARON ANDERSON SURPASSES 700 CAREER POINTS:
• 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) is seven points shy of reaching of the 700-point plateau. With 701 points, the Tucson, Ariz. native ranks ninth on the Owls’ all-time scoring is 16 points away from moving into a tie for eighth place with Kurtis Woods (2008-10) who concluded his career with 717.
SEEING DOUBLE:
• Senior forward Anderson has produced nine double-doubles this season, and ranks first among Atlantic Sun Conference active players with 22 career double-doubles.
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).
MARKEITH CUMMINGS MOVING UP A-SUN CONFERENCE’S TOP-10 SCORING LIST:
• Senior forward Markeith Cummings totaled five points at Mercer on Friday (Feb. 1) to increase his career total to 1,943. He currently ranks ninth on the Atlantic Sun Conference’s all-time scoring list. He is 28 points shy of moving into a tie with Ben Smith of Jacksonville (2006-10) who concluded his career with 1,971 points.
CUMMINGS APPROACHING 2,000 CAREER POINTS:
• Senior forward Markeith Cummings, Kennesaw State’s all-time career scoring leader with 1,943 points, is 57 points away from 2,000 career points and becoming just the sixth player in Atlantic Sun Conference history to reach the 2,000-point plateau. Willie Jackson (1980-84), who played at Centenary, is the A-Sun’s all-time leading scorer with 2,535 career points.
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 currently leads the Atlantic Sun Conference in scoring with 17.0 points a game.
• Senior forward Aaron Anderson ranks first in the A-Sun in rebounding (8.4) and is eighth in field goal percentage (53.7).
• Sophomore guard Delbert Love leads the A-Sun in minutes played (36.3) and is eighth in assists (3.0) and T-9th in steals (1.5).
• Freshman guard Myles Hamilton is tied for fourth in the A-Sun with 1.6 steals a contest.
• Delbert Love’s career-high 32 points against Mercer on Jan. 5 ties for the second-highest single-game point total this season, ranking behind only North Florida’s Parker Smith who scored 33 at Stetson on Saturday (Jan.5).
• Aaron Anderson ranks No. 1 on the A-Sun active rebounding list with 666 career rebounds. Jacksonville’s Glenn Powell began the week with 651 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 23.2 minutes a game while Brown is playing 24.0 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 1,943 points.
• Cummings also ranks second all-time in rebounds (597) since Kennesaw State became a Division I program in 2005.
• Cummings is the all-time KSU leader in free throws made (490) and free throws attempted (720).
• Cummings also ranks No. 2 in points-per-game (17.0), field goals made (685) and field goal attempts (1,507).
• 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 53.5 percent (298-557).
• Anderson is first in the KSU Division I era with 666 rebounds and rebounds-per-game (8.2).
A LOOK AT THE 2012-13 SCHEDULE:
• The Kennesaw State schedule includes three teams that are receiving preseason national attention. Notre Dame began the year ranked No. 22 by the Associated Press and No. 23 in the
USA Today Coaches Poll.
• The Owls’ schedule includes five teams (Tennessee, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Mercer, USC Upstate) that advanced to postseason play during the 2011-12 season.
• Notre Dame reached the NCAA Tournament, while Tennessee advanced to the second round of the National Invitation Tournament, and Pittsburgh won the College Basketball Invitational Tournament.
• A-Sun Conference rivals Mercer and USC Upstate participated in the Collegeinsider.com Tournament, with the Mercer Bears capturing the title.
A NEW-LOOK A-SUN CONFERENCE:
• The Atlantic Sun Conference will have a new look to it in 2012-13. Belmont, who has captured the last two conference titles, and five of the last seven, left the league to join the Ohio Valley Conference.
• Northern Kentucky, a consistent postseason participant at the NCAA Division II level and dominant force in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, begins its first year in Division I and as a member of the A-Sun Conference.
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.
