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KENNESAW, Ga. – The Kennesaw State men's basketball dropped a tough game 77-74 in overtime against Tennessee State in the KSU Convocation Center on November 25, 2017.
 
After finding themselves in a hole early, the Owls battled back to lead by as many as five, but the Tennessee State Tigers eventually outlasted the Owls in overtime.
 
Nick Masterson led KSU with 19 points on 7-10 shooting making all seven of his shots in the second half. As a team Kennesaw State shot 73.9 percent from the floor making 17-23 shots in the final 20 minutes of action.
 
 Although the Owls were hot shooting the ball in the second half, it was their defense that got them back in the game in the first half after a slow start. After falling down as many as 16 in the early going, KSU clamped down on defense holding Tennessee State to only six points in the final seven minutes of the half.
 
Kosta Jankovic sank a three right before the buzzer sounded to cap a 10-3 run as both teams headed into the locker room.
 
Coming out of the break, Kennesaw State extended their run behind Masterson hitting his first three shots of the second half for the Owls to grab their first lead of the game and go up 36-32.
 
The Tigers didn't score their first basket in the second half until after four minutes had run off the clock, but Tennessee State hung around despite KSU's sharp shooting.
 
Over the final 20 minutes, the game was tied eight times and the lead changed seven.
 
Coming down the stretch, each team traded big shot after big shot. Bryson Lockley put Kennesaw State up 68-66 after grabbing an offensive rebound and slamming it home. He added a free throw seven seconds later, but Tennessee State found a man open in the corner and Daniel Cummings sank the three to tie the score at 69 and force OT.
 
In overtime, Tennessee State held the Owls to 1-5 from the floor to edge out in front. Tristan Jarrett had a look to tie, but couldn't get it to fall as the Owls came up just short in overtime.
 
Kennesaw State outrebounded Tennessee State 40-33.
 
One thing that the Owls struggled with all night was turnovers. The team finished with 25 in the game and 15 of those came in the second half.
 
Now, Kennesaw State will travel out west to take on Washington on November 28 at 9 p.m. followed by playing Seattle on November 30.

#NestNotes

• This was the first overtime game for Kennesaw State since the 2012-13 season against South Carolina State. It was the second overtime ever in the KSU Convocation Center.
• The Owls went with a different starting lineup against Tennessee State with Tyler Hooker, Masterson, James Scott, Jankovic and Jordan Jones. That is the third different starting lineup for the Owls in six games.
• Four Owls scored in double figures led by Masterson's 19. Tristan Jarrett had 13 and Scott and Hooker had 11.
• Kennesaw State outrebounded the Tigers 40-33 in the game.
• The Owls found themselves trailing by 16 points early in the game before cutting that deficit to six at halftime.
• Jarrett led Kennesaw State at halftime with nine points after going 3-3 from the floor with two three pointers and an old-fashioned three-point play at halftime.
• The Owls began the second half on a 10-0 run to take their first lead of the game.

 
 
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