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KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State men's basketball faltered at home to NJIT on Wednesday, January 24 as the Owls dropped the contest 66-60 in the KSU Convocation Center.
 
After trailing the entire second half, Kennesaw State forced a turnover after Nick Masterson hit a three pointer to trail by four with 13 seconds remaining. On the ensuing inbound pass, KSU was called for a five-second violation ending their comeback attempt.
 
Masterson led the team with 21 points on 9-14 shooting. James Scott was second on the team in scoring finishing with 15 points.  
 
The Owls trailed 22-15 early, but Scott led the Owls on a quick 8-2 run with a couple layups and an assist to Kyle Clarke on the fast break to get within one at 24-23.
 
The Highlanders got their lead back to five, but Masterson hit a jumper before the half for the Owls to trail 32-29 at the break.
 
Coming out of halftime, turnovers were the story for Kennesaw State as they turned the ball over on four of their first five possessions in the second half allowing NJIT to build a double-digit lead.
 
For the game, KSU finished with 20 turnovers total.
 
Kennesaw State trailed by double digits much of the second half until the final five minutes when NJIT started turning the ball over and missing free throws. Over the final five minutes, the Highlanders missed five free throws allowing the Owls to have hope, but after the five-second violation with 13 seconds remaining, NJIT closed out the win.
 
The loss drops the Owls to 5-16 overall and 1-5 in the ASUN. The Owls will be on the road for their next game in Spartanburg, South Carolina against USC Upstate on Saturday, January 27 at 2 p.m.

#NestNotes

• Tonight was Masterson's fourth game of the season with at least 20 points in a game as he finished with a team-leading 21. The senior is inching closer to 1,000 career points as he currently sits at 937.
• Scott and Masterson both carried the Owls offensively in the first 20 minutes. The two combined to score 21 of the Owls 29 points.
• Anthony Wilson once again provided a lift off the bench scoring 10 points and leading the team in rebounding with six. He also had three steals in the game.
• KSU forced 17 turnovers once again. They have forced 17 turnovers in four of the six ASUN games.

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