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KENNESAW, Ga.  – The Kennesaw State men's basketball got a big 84-79 win at home against USC Upstate on Saturday, February 4 in the KSU Convocation Center to get over .500 in the ASUN at 5-4.
 
The win is the 11^th of the season for Kennesaw State matching their win total from a season ago.
 
Kendrick Ray and Aubrey Williams led the team combining for 39 points between the two of them, but the Owls bench was the difference in the game outscoring Upstate 35-13 with James Scott scoring 18 of those.
 
As Kennesaw State controlled much of the game, Upstate cut the Owls lead down to two with 6:02 remaining, but head coach Al Skinner went to his bench for an offensive spark and they provided it. Scott scored seven points in a two minute stretch to put KSU back out front by nine with 3:25 remaining.
 
The Spartans began to foul, but the Owls answered at the line going 7-8 in the final 1:04 of the game to seal the victory.
 
Overall, Kennesaw State controlled most of the game leading for 36:14 with the lead changing only three times.
 
In the first half, the game was tight until the Owls started to get out in transition to open up the offense spurring on an 11-1 run and taking the team's largest lead of the game up 13 with 30 seconds remaining in the first 20 minutes.
 
Ray led all scorers with 22 points and Williams had his 14^th double-double of the season scoring 17 points and pulling down 11 rebounds.
 
Overall, the offense was running smoothly as KSU had 20 assists on their 32 field goals in the game and only committed eight turnovers.
 
Coming into the game, Upstate led the ASUN averaging 40.1 rebounds per game, but it was the Owls that were all over the boards tonight outrebounding the Spartans 40-33.
 
With Kennesaw State currently sitting in a tie for third, they will hit the road next week to take on Stetson on Thursday, February 9 and conference leading FGCU Saturday, February 11. Both games will be broadcasted on ESPN3.

#NestNotes

• The win makes KSU 11-14 and 5-4 in ASUN play. The 11^th win matches last season's win total for KSU last season and is just three away from the Division I win total record. The 2006-07 team won 14 games.
• The 5-4 record in the ASUN currently has the Owls tied for third in the conference. The top four teams will host the first round in the ASUN tournament beginning Monday, February 27.
• Williams notched his 14^th double-double of the season with 17 points and 11 rebounds.
• Ray scored 22 points giving him his 16^th game this season scoring at least 20 points.
• Overall, there was four players that scored in double figures in the game. Along with Ray and Williams, Scott had 18 and Nick Masterson had 10.
• The Owls had all freshmen on the floor for the first time this season in the first half. The five played together for 3:18 of game clock and outscored the Spartans 9-8 over that time.
• KSU had 38 points at the half against the Spartans. In the first game the Owls played against Upstate, they also had 38 points in the first half.
• Coming into the game, Upstate led the ASUN in rebounds per game averaging 40.1. Kennesaw State outrebounded them 40-33 and held them to only six offensive rebounds.
• The Owls had 20 assists on 32 field goals tonight with only eight turnovers. That is the fifth time this season that the team has had at least 20 assists in a game. The season high is 21 assists against Rider and Lipscomb.
• The home win pushes Kennesaw State's record to 7-3 in the KSU Convocation Center ensuring a winning record at home this season.

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