Score: Kennesaw State 78, USC Upstate 75
Records: Kennesaw State (6-16, 2-4), USC Upstate (7-16, 1-5)
Key Players: Kendrick Ray (23 points and six assists), Yonel Brown (13 points and five assists), Nick Masterson (11 points going 4-4 from the floor)
 
Box Score (XML) | Box Score (PDF) 

KENNESAW, Ga. – Looking for a big win on the road, the Kennesaw State Owls got just that against USC Upstate winning 78-75 in the Hodge Center on Wednesday, January 27.
 
Up by three with time winding down, the Owls' defense forced the Spartans into an off balanced three that they couldn't get to fall to clinch the win.
 
Kendrick Ray notched his fifth straight 20-point game with 23 and he dished out six assists on the night. Yonel Brown and Nick Masterson also scored in double-figures. Four other players had at least seven points to provide balanced scoring on the night for the Owls.
 
To start the game, KSU jumped on the Spartans early taking a 7-0 lead behind a quick three and layup from Masterson.
 
The Owls built that lead as much as 12 points in the first half and eventually took a nine-point lead into the locker room up 34-25.
 
Out of the break, Ray and Brown sparked a quick 8-0 run to push the score to 46-29 with just over 16 minutes left.
 
Around the five minute mark, the home team started to make a run after trailing by double-digits for the much of the half, but a big three pointer by Kosta Jankovic and some free throws kept KSU in front for the win. The Owls never trailed in the game.
 
This weekend, KSU will host NJIT at the KSU Convocation Center for the first meeting between the two teams since the Highlanders joined the A-Sun this season. The game is at 4:30 on Saturday, January 30. It will be broadcasted on ESPN3.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     On the Road Win
"Obviously, we're very happy with the results. We played much better defense and weren't in foul trouble in the first half. We moved the ball well to get some good looks and guys put the ball in the basket. The biggest improvement defensively, particularly in the first half, was our rebounding for the entire 40 minutes. It was one of the more complete games we've played. To get a win like this on the road is a big step for us. We hope we can build on it. There are some things that we can learn, especially the way we handle ourselves down the stretch that will help us improve. We can learn from our mistakes, but we also were able to get a win so that makes it that much better."
 - Kennesaw State Head Coach Al Skinner
 
 Notes
- With the victory tonight, KSU won its first game on the road this season and snapped a four-game losing streak to the Spartans.
- This is the fifth straight game that Ray has scored at least 20 points and the 10^th time this season.
- The Owls finished the game assisting 16 of their 25 field goals.
- The 19 minutes that Jankovic played matches a season high for the freshman.
 
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.