Saturday, February 23
7 p.m.  – Kennesaw State (5-23, 2-11) at FGCU (12-17, 7-7)
Location: Fort Myers, Fla. | Alico Arena
Links: ESPN+ | Live Stats 
Game Notes: KSU

Top Storylines
» The Kennesaw State men's basketball team opens its final road trip of the regular season Saturday, traveling to FGCU to take on the Eagles at 7 p.m.

» One of the top shot-blocking teams in the league, the Owls raised the bar once again recording 12 blocks against North Alabama to set a new single-game record. Five Owls logged two or more blocks against the Lions with Bryson Lockley and Tyler Hooker recording three each. KSU is currently ranked fourth in the league averaging 3.4 blocks per game.

» Tyler Hooker recorded his second straight game, third in the past five, with 20 or more points this past Wednesday. Hooker is one of two players in the ASUN to score over 500 points this season, ranking ninth on the all-time KSU single-season record list for points scored.

» KSU has been big on the glass this season averaging 36.6 rebounds per game to rank fourth in the conference. Bryson Lockley leads the way for the Owls averaging 7.4 boards per game to place sixth in the league. Lockley has logged seven or more rebounds in eight of the last 10 games.

» The Owls continue to shine from the free throw line this season, shooting 70 percent or better in six straight games. On the year, KSU is shooting 69.8 percent from the stripe to rank fourth in the conference.

» After four seasons at the helm of the Owls, Head Coach Al Skinner will step down following the conclusion of the 2018-19 campaign.

The Matchup
Florida Gulf Coast welcomes the Owls to Alico Arena for its final home game of the regular season Saturday. The Eagles are coming off a big upset win over Lipscomb, 67-61, this past Wednesday. On the year, FGCU is 12-17 overall and 7-7 in conference play.

FGCU is one of the top three-point shooting teams in the league with a 36.1 shooting percentage from beyond the arc to rank third in the ASUN. Shadrac Casimir leads the league shooting 48.3 percent from three-point range, ranked second with 70 made treys on the year. Casimir is currently ranked seventh in the conference averaging 14.7 points per game.

The Eagles are one of three teams in the league to average over four blocks per game. Brian Thomas (34) and Troy Baxter Jr. (30) rank fourth and tied for sixth respectively for total blocks.

Last Time Out
The Owls were dominant at the rim, breaking the all-time single-game record for blocks with 12 stuffs. Five Owls finished the game with two or more blocks as the Lions pulled away in the second half to down KSU 76-61.

Danny Lewis got the Owls rolling with back-to-back jumpers to open the game. UNA eventually knotted the game up at 6-6 before three points the hard way from Isaac Mbuyamba put KSU back in front.

The Owls extended their lead behind a 6-0 run capped off by a layup from Bryson Lockley to lead 19-14 at the 10:39 mark. After trading buckets, the Lions eventually gained the upper hand with a 7-0 run to lead 26-24 with six minutes to play. The two teams proceeded to trade the lead for the final minutes of the half with a last-minute layup from UNA's Kendall Stafford giving the Lions a 35-34 advantage at the break.

UNA set the tone for the second half nailing a three-pointer on its first possession to extend the lead to 38-34. The Owls attempted to answer, but a quick 7-1 swing for the Lions put UNA up 48-39 at the 17:18 mark.

The Owls and Lions went point-for-point as KSU could not seem to break the nine-point barrier. UNA pulled away at the 10-minute mark, sinking four straight three-pointers on its way to a 14-0 run and a 72-52 lead.

KSU pulled the lead back down to 15 points, but could not get any closer as both teams went scoreless for the final three minutes of the game.

Balling Out
Tyler Hooker continues to take his game to the next level this season, recording 20 or more points in back-to-back games, three of the last four. He has hit double-figures in all but one game this year, averaging 19 points per game to rank second in the ASUN.

The Simpsonville, S.C., native is one of two players in the league to net over 500 points on the year, leading the conference with 533 total points. Following his 20 points against North Alabama, Hooker jumped into ninth on the all-time single-season points scored record list.

If he can continue to score at his current clip, he would become just the fifth player in KSU history to average at least 19 points per game in a single-season.

Part of Hooker's success this year can be attributed to his accuracy from the free throw line, leading the league with 141 made buckets from the charity stripe, the only player in the league with over 130 made free throws. He is currently shooting 83.4 percent at the line to rank fifth in the conference.

Rounding out his stellar performance this season, Hooker ranks fifth in the league for both assists (86) and steals (44). He has recorded four or more assists in eight straight games.

It's A Block Party!
The Owls went off against North Alabama as five Owls logged at least two blocks to set a new single-game program record with 12 total blocks. That mark is three blocks shy of the ASUN single-game record. Tyler Hooker and Ugo Obineke each recorded career-highs with three and two blocks, respectively.

As a team, the Owls are fourth in the conference averaging 3.4 blocks per game, a mark that ranks among the top-10 in KSU DI single-season history. KSU has logged three or more blocks in eight of the last nine games.

Bryson Lockley has been on a tear as of late, logging two or more blocks in four of the last five games, including a career-high four stuffs at North Florida. Lockley is now the third Owl to rank among the ASUN's top-15 for total blocks, jumping into a tie for 13th.

Antonio Spencer is currently ninth with 25 blocks, recording 15 during league play, while Isaac Mbuyamba leads the team and ranks sixth in the conference with 30 total blocks. Mbuyamba needs just three more blocks to tie Devon Kirksey (1997-98) for 10th on the KSU single-season record list.

At Jacksonville, Mbuyamba logged his second game this year with five or more blocks, logging five stuffs to tie the previous DI single-game record. At Gardner-Webb Mbuyamba recorded a career-high six blocks to set the Division I single-game record for KSU, falling just one block shy of the overall program record of seven set by Ron Ruffin in 1995.

With 57 blocks in his career, the Portland, Ore., product is just one block shy of cracking the KSU career blocks top-10.

Spencer and Isaac Mbuyamba are two of 12 players in the league to record at least 20 blocks on the year, combining to record 55 of KSU's 96 blocks this season.

Now Boarding
So far this year, KSU is averaging 36.6 rebounds per game to rank fourth in the ASUN. If maintained, that average would set a new DI single-season record previously established in 2016-17.

The Owls surpassed 1,000 rebounds on the season following their last game against North Alabama, moving them into eighth on the DI single-season record list. KSU's 1,024 boards marks just the eighth time since moving to DI that the Owls have logged over 1,000 rebounds in a season.

The Owls pulled down a season-high 51 rebounds in their game at North Alabama. That total is the second-most rebounds in a single-game, just four boards shy of the KSU DI record, while marking only the third time in DI history that the Owls have secured 50 or more rebounds.

Three Owls are currently ranked among the conference's top-20 for rebounds per game. Lockley ranks sixth in the conference averaging 7.4 rebounds per game while Isaac Mbuyamba (5.4 rpg) and Tyler Hooker (4.6 rpg) rank 14th and 20th, respectively.

Three Owls have recorded 10 or more rebounds in a game this season with Lockley accomplishing the feat five times, followed by Mbuyamba three times and Kosta Jankovic once.

Making Four Figures
Following his 23-point performance against Lipscomb, redshirt junior Tyler Hooker became the newest member of the 1,000 career points scored club.

Hooker has been on fire this season, recording over half of his career points this year alone (533). He is currently ranked ninth on the all-time single-season points scored list.

So far this year, Hooker is one of two players in the ASUN to score over 500 points, recording over 300 points in back-to-back seasons.

Hooker still needs over 200 points to crack the all-time career record list with Israel Brown (1989-93) currently sitting in 10th with 1,268 career points. 

Got It On Lock
Bryson Lockley has done it all for the Owls this season recording four double-doubles on the year. Lockley recorded arguably one of his best all-around performances at North Florida, recording seven points and nine rebounds while tying his career-highs for assists (5) and blocks (4) and setting a season-high for steals (3).

Lockley has recorded double-digit rebounds in five games this season, pulling down seven or more boards in eight of the last 10 games.

The Houston, Texas native leads the team and ranks sixth in the ASUN averaging 7.4 rebounds per game. He is one of six players in the conference to record over 200 rebounds on the year.

He has nearly doubled his scoring production from a year ago, averaging 7.2 points per game compared to 3.7 last season. This season he has scored in double-figures in eight games, compared to only two games during the 2017-18 campaign.

Lockley is second on the team with 49 assists on the year, good enough for 26th in the league. He is one of two Owls, the other being Tyler Hooker, to record over 200 points (201), 40 assists (49) and 10 steals (20) on the year. He is also third on the squad for blocks with 19.

At The Stripe
The Owls have been one of the hottest shooting teams from the free throw line during ASUN play, shooting 70 percent or better in all but three games. In conference play, KSU is second in the league shooting 75 percent at the line.

The Owls are fourth overall in the league with 367 made free throws. KSU has recorded 20 or more free throws in three games, including 31 against Eastern Kentucky, a mark that is tied for third most all-time in a single-game.

KSU's 69.8 shooting percentage from the free throw line this year would rank among the top-10 DI single-season performances.

Tyler Hooker has been a major factor in the Owls production at the stripe, leading the conference with 141 made free throws on the year, one of four players with over 100 made buckets. He is also ranked fifth in the league shooting 83.4 percent at the line. He has not missed more than two free throws in a game all year, shooting less than 60 percent at the line only once, going 1-of-2 at Samford.

Hooker broke the century mark on the year after going 13-of-14 from the charity stripe at North Alabama, tying his career-high set earlier this season against EKU.

With 141 made free throws on the year, Hooker is currently ranked third on the KSU DI single-season record list. Hooker also ranks among the top-10 scorers for career made free throws, recording 269 free throws to rank eighth. This year he has made 10 or more free throws in three games.

Bryson Lockley has been another clutch shooter at the line with 73 made free throws to rank tied for ninth in the league. Lockley has gone a perfect 7-for-7 at the line over the last five games, giving him a 67.6 shooting percentage on the year which is good enough fir 16th in the league.

Put It In Park
Junior Transfer Bobby Parker has been a revelation during ASUN play, scoring 10 or more points in five of the last six games. During league play, he is averaging 11.8 points per game, compared to 6.5 points during the non-conference slate, to rank 19th in the league.

Parker has made at least two three-pointers in six of the last seven games, including a 6-of-7 performance at Jacksonville for 20 points. The Crete, Ill., native earned the Owls' first weekly award of the year this past Monday, being named the ASUN Newcomer of the Week.

Parker leads the team shooting 36.3 percent from beyond the arc, good enough for ninth in the league.

In league play, Parker has netted 24 three-pointers to rank tied for seventh in the conference.

From Long Distance!
Danny Lewis added his name to the long list of single-game three-point shooting performances this season after going 5-of-8 from beyond the arc at North Florida. Lewis is the fourth Owl this year to record five or more three-pointers in a single-game, setting a new career-high with his five treys.

Bobby Parker is the only Owl to record five or more three-pointers in a game twice this year, shooting 36.3 percent from beyond the arc to rank ninth in the conference. In KSU's recent game at Jacksonville, he became the third Owl this season to net six treys in a single-game.

Parker, Tyler Hooker and Kosta Jankovic have all recorded six three-pointers in a game this year, the second most treys made in a single-game in KSU DI history.

At Yale, Jankovic went 6-of-8 from beyond the arc, missing his first three-pointer halfway through the second half, while Hooker went 6-of-10 against Tennessee Tech.

Only two players in the league, JT Escobar of North Florida and Shadarac Casimir of FGCU, have recorded more than six three-pointers in a single-game.

Parker and Hooker rank 23rd and 24h in the league with 33 and 32 made three-pointers, respectively, this season.

Oh Danny Boy
Freshman transfer Danny Lewis has found his groove as of late, netting 10 or more points in seven of the last eight games.

Lewis, who began conference play averaging only three points over the first three games, is now averaging 12.1 points per game over the current eight-game stretch.

The Atlanta, Ga., native is currently averaging 9.5 points per game, one of three Owls to average over nine points per game. 

Skinner To Step Down Following Season
After four seasons at the helm of the Owls, Head Coach Al Skinner will step down following the conclusion of the 2018-19 campaign.

Skinner is currently 40-81 over his four seasons at KSU, leading the Owls to 25 wins from 2014-17, tying the best three-year stretch since moving to Division I (25 wins from 2005-08). The Owls best finish in the ASUN came during the 2016-17 season when KSU went 7-7 in league play to tie USC Upstate for fourth. 

Looking Ahead
The Owls head to Lynchburg to take on league-leading Liberty for their final road game of the regular season Tuesday (Feb. 26) at 7 p.m.

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