BOX SCORE (XML) | BOX SCORE (PDF) | HIGHLIGHTS | INTERVIEW

KENNESAW, Ga. – Yonel Brown scored 27 points to lead the Kennesaw State basketball team over Paine College 80-75 on Tuesday, February 3.
 
Brown's point total was the third highest he has had so far this season.
 
There were two other KSU players that scored in double figures for the game. Nigel Pruitt scored 17 along with having three steals, and Damien Wilson finished with 14 points and led the team with eight rebounds.
 
After being tied at 70, Pruitt and Brown hit two threes to put the Owls up by six with 53 seconds left. Paine answered with a trey to cut the lead to 76-73, but Brown made four free throws in the final 11 seconds to clinch the game.
 
"Tonight was a very tough game," head coach Jimmy Lallathin said. "They are a very talented team. They walked out there and looked like you could put an A-Sun jersey on them and they wouldn't be out of place by any stretch. We knew they were tough inside and they showed that. We've got to be more physical on the boards, but we shot the ball well. Very happy how we responded coming out in the second half. You can build on this because we got a win. I would much rather learn from wins than losses."

On the game, Brown was 8-15 from the floor with four of those being threes. He was also 7-8 from the free throw line.
 
The first half was very tight the entire way with the score being tied nine times and the lead changing five. Paine took its largest lead of the game into halftime as they went up 37-32.
 
Out of the intermission, the Owls came out hot and grabbed an 11-point lead after a 21-7 run to start the half.
 
KSU maintained that lead until the nine-minute mark when the Lions went on a 7-0 run to make the score 66-62.
 
Jordan Jones and Wilson both made layups to get the lead back to eight, but Paine responded with another run and this time tied the game at 70. From there, the two hot hands in Pruitt and Brown closed the game out for the Owls with their three pointers and free throws.
 
The win gives KSU eight on the season, which is the most the Owls have had since the 2010-11 season.
 
"We haven't had eight wins in a while," Lallathin said. "I think it's a lot of credit to the guys on their perseverance. We've gone through some adversity, injuries and a tough schedule this year and they've continued to play hard. It's a credit to them with where we are at to this point."
 
The team will start the second half of Atlantic Sun play this Saturday against USC Upstate at 3 p.m. on ESPN3.
 
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.