Scores: Kennesaw State 71, IUPUI 63
Records: Kennesaw State (1-4), IUPUI (2-3)
Key Players: Yonel Brown (19 points and four steals), Nigel Pruitt (13 points), Nick Masterson (12 points), Kendrick Ray (10 points and 9 rebounds)
 
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KENNESAW, Ga. – After a long road trip, the Kennesaw State men's basketball team returned home to win its first game of the 2015-16 season as it topped IUPUI 71-63.
 
The Jaguars got up by as much as nine in the first half, but KSU stepped up its defense from there only allowing IUPUI to score five points the final 7:55 in the first half. That sparked an Owls' a 16-5 run to end the half as Kennesaw State took a two point lead at halftime.
 
Out of the locker room, IUPUI scored a quick five points to retake the lead before Nick Masterson got going with hitting a three followed by another jumper. The Owls pushed that run to 11-1 to go up by seven points after a layup by Nigel Pruitt.
 
Kennesaw State held between a seven to nine point lead until Nigel Pruitt hit a three pointer to break that lead into double-digits at 56-44. Pruitt hit another jumper to give the Owls their largest margin of the game up 15.
 
The Jaguars hit a couple shots and got the lead to six, but the time ran out with the Owls on top at 77-65.
 
With the win, Kennesaw State will play in the Legends Classic Sub-Regional Championship game against Belmont tomorrow at 5:30.
 
Coach Skinner on his thoughts on the Win
"The most important thing is the one thing that we want to try and make an effort moving forward is playing the game at our pace and playing the game the way we want to play, regardless of whether the team pressures us, doesn't pressure us, we should be able to execute against that. We're learning how to do that. It's a little bit different than a lot of guys want to play, but it can be effective for us. Today we showed that effectiveness, and in the second half we did a really good job. We got good shots, we showed a lot of patience, guys made extra passes and we scored a number of times at the end of the shot clock. That's very important because that means guys are really paying attention and executing while showing composure. We're learning to play that way. It's a challenge when you're not accustomed to do it. It takes a lot of discipline, and we're trying to learn that."
 - Kennesaw State Head Coach Al Skinner
 
Notes
- This is head coach Al Skinner's first win as the Kennesaw State head coach.
- Yonel Brown once again led the Owls with 19 points in the game. It is the third time in five games he has led the team in points. He has scored in double-figures in every game for KSU this season.
- Brown also played all 40 minutes in the game. It is the second time this season that he didn't come off of the floor for the Owls.
- Nick Masterson set a career high with 12 points tonight. It is the third time in his career he has had double-digits in points. The other two times he had 11 points.
- Kendrick Ray led the team with nine rebounds and three assists. He also had 10 points for the Owls.
 
 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.