By: By Joseph Feldman
Saturday, January 20
4:30 p.m. – Kennesaw State vs FGCU
Location: Kennesaw, Ga. | KSU Convocation Center
Links: Video |
Live Stats |
Game Notes |
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Preview
Kennesaw State hosts the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles on Saturday, January 20 at 4:30 p.m.
The Eagles come in riding a six-game win streak and are coming off of a big win at Lipscomb where they trailed by as many as 18 points.
FGCU has been dominant through the first four ASUN games holding an 18.5-point winning margin.
The Owls sit at 1-3 in the ASUN and will be looking to get their second victory in a row on their home floor. They hold a 5-4 record in the KSU Convocation Center.
Scouting FGCU
FGCU comes into the KSU Convocation Center riding a six-game winning streak after the second-half comeback against Lipscomb.
The Eagles are only allowing 61.7 points per game in ASUN play, which is over 12 points better than the next best team.
They're the only team still a perfect 4-0 in the ASUN led by senior Brandon Goodwin, who went to Norcross High School in Norcross, Georgia.
Joe Dooley is in his fifth season with FGCU and has led them to two straight NCAA Tournaments.
Masterson Heats Up in the Second Half
In the final 20 minutes of games in the KSU Convocation Center,
Nick Masterson has been on fire making 27-43 shots.
Over the last two games between North Florida and Stetson, he has barely missed going 12-16 from the floor. Against the Ospreys, he scored 21 points in the final 20 minutes and against Stetson he was 5-5 with 13 points.
Scott Leads the Way on Offense
James Scott leads the team averaging 16.8 points per game and stepped up for the Owls against Stetson scoring a season high 32 points on 11-19 shooting.
The 32 points was one of the sophomores career high, which ironically was also against Stetson.
Masterson Shoots at a High Percentage
Against Stetson, Masterson found holes in their zone and got hot and went 10-12 from the floor for 28 points. He made 5-6 threes and was a perfect 5-5 in the second half.
Masterson is making 52.9 percent of his threes despite other defenses keying on him in the Owls offense. At home, he's even better as he is 23-38 from behind the arc and making a staggering 60.5 percent.
When you combine his shooting percentage with two-point field goals, three-point field goals and free throws, Masterson has a total shooting percentage of 70.8 percent. That is the seventh best mark in the country.
Going Small
With the game close early against Stetson, head coach
Al Skinner went to a small lineup putting
Anthony Wilson in forcing Masterson to play at the 4.
The lineup immediately opened up the Owls offense as Wilson was a spark on the defensive end getting steals and blocks and finding Masterson and Scott on the perimeter.
The Owls outscored the Hatters by 13 points with Wilson on the floor the remainder of the first half.
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