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BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – In a career night for the Kennesaw State men's basketball team, the Owls pushed Gardner-Webb to the limit, before falling in overtime 81-77 Thursday night at the Paul Porter Arena.
 
Senior Kosta Jankovic (10 points, 13 rebounds) and redshirt junior Bryson Lockley (15 points, 11 rebounds) each recorded double-doubles in the game, while junior Isaac Mbuyamba set a new KSU single-game record with six blocks.
 
How it happened: After a layup from Mbuyamba opened the scoring for the Owls (1-9), KSU fell into a hole as GWU (7-5) went on a 7-0 run to lead 9-2 at the 15:55 mark. KSU responded with an 11-2 run, capped off by a steal and a dunk from Kyle Clarke to earn its first lead of the night 15-14.
 
Down by one-point with 10 minutes left in the half, the Owls then proceeded to go on an 11-0 run that spanned six minutes to lead 26-18. The two teams traded buckets in the final minutes of the half with KSU holding a 34-28 lead at halftime.
 
The Owls shot 51.7 percent in the first half, with Lockley already in double-figures with 11 points. KSU opened the second half with back-to-back buckets to push its lead to 10 points, 38-28.
 
The Owls led by as much as 13 points, 52-39, following a bucket from Mbuyamba at the 12:59 mark. That would be the last field goal for the Owls for the next seven minutes.
 
Gardner-Webb chipped away at the Owls' lead with KSU remaining in front thanks to its free-throw shooting, going 14-of-20 from the charity stripe in the second half. Mbuyamba finally broke the drought for the Owls with a layup to make it 61-57 with under six minutes to play. 
 
The Runnin' Bulldogs tied the game up with a quick 6-0 run to lock the game at 66-66 with 2:32 to play. Tyler Hooker pulled the Owls in front with a clutch three-pointer followed by a free-throw from Mbuyamba to give KSU a two-point lead. GWU forced OT on the ensuing possession with a layup to end regulation tied 70-70.
 
In OT, GWU jumped out to a 75-71 lead at the 3:15 mark. The Owls attempted to pull it even, but Gardner-Webb was able to answer every shot to remain in front and earn the 81-77 win.
 
Notes: Bryson Lockley recorded his second double-double in the last three games, tying his career-highs with 15 points and 11 rebounds … Kosta Jankovic recorded his first career double-double with 10 points and a career-high 13 rebounds … This is the first time two Owls have recorded a double-double in the same game since Aubrey Williams and Jordan Jones in February of 2017 … Isaac Mbuyamba set the KSU single-game record with six blocks … Mbuyamba finished with nine points, tying his career-high … As a team, the Owls finished with eight blocks which is tied for second all-time in a single-game … Tyler Hooker recorded his eighth straight game in double-figures with a team-high 18 points … In his first career appearance for the Owls, redshirt freshman Danny Lewis recorded nine points and two rebounds … The Owls shot 42.2 percent from the floor, marking the third time this season they have finished shooting 40 percent or better … KSU went 20-of-28 from the free throw line, the second time this year the Owls have made 20 or more free throws in a game.
 
Quotes:Head Coach Al Skinner
On the OT loss…
"The good thing is that obviously our players improved and its going to continue to improve as the season goes along. We did the things necessary to put ourselves in a position to win, we just didn't close, and that's something that we have to learn going forward. Our execution, particularly in overtime, wasn't what it should have been so we'll get better, and with that we'll come away with different results. A lot of good things happened, a number of guys contributed and if we continue to do this our progress will continue to improve and we'll get on the other side of this."
 
On the all-around scoring production…
"When we executed well, we got the shots we were looking for and we have got to continue to do that. We have to believe in what we are trying to accomplish. At times we got away from that and that's when our lack of experience and our youth showed. It's a learning process. We did everything that we needed to do to put ourselves in a position to win, now we have to learn how to close."
 
On the notable performances…
"The things you want your front court to do, we did. Different areas, rebounding the basketball is important for us, a lot of times we contested, obviously Isaac [Mbuyamba] setting a career-high with six blocked shots. It's just that, again, at times we had lapses and that's what we need to avoid. As we move forward we will continue to improve. For two guys to have double-doubles is tremendous, but the most important thing is that we have to close, that means continue to execute, continue to get the shots that we want and I didn't think we were consistent with that. It's very important for this team to be able to do that."
 
Up next: The Owls will have to shake it off quickly as they open a three-game homestand Saturday against Tennessee Tech in the annual Holiday game slated for 4 p.m.