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Score: Kennesaw State 65, North Florida 68
Records: Kennesaw State (3-13, 0-8), North Florida (6-10, 4-2)
Key Players: Spencer Rodgers (21 pts, 4 rebs, 2 stls), Chris Youngblood (13 pts, 3 rebs), Jamie Lewis (10 pts, 2 rebs), Brandon Stroud (8 pts, 5 rebs, 2 stls) and Alex Peterson (4 pts, 9 rebs)
 
THE STORYLINE: 
The Kennesaw State men's basketball team nearly erased a 20-point halftime deficit Saturday night as Spencer Rodgers netted 17 of his 21 points in the second period to help pull the Owls within one point, but the rally fell just short as KSU dropped game two to North Florida 68-65.

ABDUR-RAHIM QUOTES:
On the game and the second half comeback...
"With the big picture in mind of building our program I was proud of their response and ownership of how we want to compete as a program. I think we've shown throughout the year that we have the 'keep fighting' strand of DNA in our program. As we mentioned to the guys we can't wait until we get down for our pride to come. We have to get tired of being 'right there.' I want to make sure to point out the play of Jamie Lewis and Brandon Stroud. I was proud of their effort on both ends of the floor. We need them to continue to play up as we prepare to breakthrough."

HOW IT HAPPENED:
Trailing 45-25, The Owls came out firing to open the second half going on an 11-1 run thanks to three triples, two from Spencer Rodgers and one from Brandon Stroud, to make it 50-38 with just under 15 minutes to play. KSU eventually cut the lead down to single-digits, 52-43, as Jamie Lewis earned the and-1 foul.
 
KSU continued to chip away at the lead as a 6-0 run cut the deficit to four 55-51 at the 9:07 mark. The Owls kept the pressure on UNF, but the Ospreys managed to answer each KSU bucket to hold onto a slim lead over the next few minutes. Rodgers eventually made it a one-score game, 63-60, with a minute left to play.
 
After a missed layup by the Owls, UNF responded with a jumper on the other end before Rodgers drained his fourth three-pointer of the night to make it 65-63 with 10 seconds left.
 
The final seconds were decided at the free throw line as UNF went 1-for-2 while Jamie Lewis sank both his chances at the charity stripe to pull within one 66-65. After fouling on the inbounds play, the Ospreys went down to sink both their free throws giving KSU one last opportunity with three seconds left. The Owls heaved an inbound pass across the court to Nate Springs, whose three-pointer clanged off the rim before the final buzzer sounded.
 
KSU flipped the script outscoring UNF 40-23 in the second half, forcing 14 turnovers and holding the Ospreys to 0-for-8 from three-point range.
 
North Florida went 5-for-9 from range in the first period, netting its first trey just seconds into the game as the two teams traded three-pointers to open the first half. UNF then rattled off a 10-0 run to lead 13-3 before the Owls finally ended the run with a jumper from Spencer Rodgers for a quick 6-2 swing. KSU and UNF continued to trade buckets as both teams shot over 60 percent midway through the period.
 
The Ospreys pushed the tempo with a 7-1 run out of the under-12 media timeout to lead 26-14. Lewis and Terrell Burden snapped the run with back-to-back buckets, but the Ospreys responded with a three-pointer to keep KSU at bay. UNF pulled away in the final four minutes of the half, outscoring KSU 12-3 down the stretch to finish the half shooting 65.4 percent from the floor.

NOTES
- Spencer Rodgers recorded his sixth game this season with 20 or more points.
- Jamie Lewis hit double-figures for the first time this season, finishing 6-for-7 form the free throw line.
- Alex Peterson tied his season-high with nine rebounds.
- The Owls forced 20 Osprey turnovers, the third time this season they've forced 20+ turnovers, resulting in 20 points for KSU.

UP NEXT
KSU returns to the Convocation Center next weekend to host ASUN newcomers Bellarmine Friday (Jan. 29) and Saturday (Jan. 30) evening.

To keep up with the latest Kennesaw State men's basketball news follow the team on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and @KSUOwlsMBB or by liking Kennesaw State University on Facebook.