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Score: Kennesaw State 80, FGCU 63
Records: Kennesaw State (5-18, 2-13), FGCU (9-7, 4-5)
Key Players: Terrell Burden (20 pts, 4 assts, 3 rebs), Spencer Rodgers (18 pts, 4 assts, 4 rebs), Chris Youngblood (13 pts, 2 stls) Nate Springs (10 pts, 4 rebs) and Brandon Stroud (6 pts, 13 rebs).  
 
THE STORYLINE 
The Kennesaw State men's basketball team got back in the win column Friday night as a tremendous team performance that featured four players in double figures propelled the Owls to an 80-63 victory over FGCU at Life University.

ABDUR-RAHIM QUOTES
On tonight's game…
"I was really proud of them, not even for just the game, but really for this week. I know it was being talked about, but we didn't know for sure we were playing until Thursday morning and we actually had Thursday off of practice. So we had to text them at 10 o' clock 'hey we're going to practice at four.' So I'm just really proud of them being able to adjust the way that they did. They came back in that day and they picked up small scout details of what we wanted to do, and they took them in. I was really proud of them tonight, they grew up a lot. We had a 20-point lead at halftime, FGCU comes out and they shrink that lead to four and for a second you see that look on their face like 'oh here we go again.' But what they did for the first time really all year, and I think that's why we were able to finish the game the way that we did, was that they got closer to each other, they started talking to each and they started trusting each other on both ends of the floor. So I was just really proud of them for responding to that adversity and finishing that game the way that they did. Now just like games before we need to go back, watch and figure out some adjustments and then come back in tomorrow ready to roll. I was just really proud of their connection tonight, really proud of them fighting through the adversity that they did."

HOW IT HAPPENED
It was a tight battle in the opening minutes of Friday's game as FGCU held on to a slim 10-9 lead at the first media timeout due in large part to the Eagle's Caleb Catto who went 3-for-3 from three-point range in the opening minutes. The Owls eventually pulled in front as a trey from Spencer Rodgers capped off an 8-0 run to give KSU a 14-10 lead. KSU stayed hot from range as Chris Youngblood drained back-to-back triples to keep the Owls in front 20-15.
 
KSU kept its foot on the gas shooting nearly 65 percent from the field midway through the period as an and-1 from Kasen Jennings pushed the lead to double-figures 29-18 at the 11:24 mark. The Owls outscored FGCU 11-3 over the final seven minutes of the half as Terrell Burden finished the period 7-for-9 from the floor for 15 points including the layup that gave KSU a 47-27 lead heading into halftime.
 
The Owls shot 57.6 percent in the first half, going 6-for-13 from beyond the arc, compared to 31.3 percent by FGCU.
 
FGCU bounced back to open the second half, outscoring KSU 9-2 to cut the lead to 49-36 less than three minutes into the period. The Owls managed to keep FGCU at arm's length until an 8-0 run brought the Eagles to within four, 54-50, with 11:48 still to play.
 
KSU responded with a 6-0 run to push their lead back to 10, 65-55. From there, the two teams traded buckets before a pair of free throws from Rodgers opened a 13-0 run to give the Owls an 80-59 lead with 1:25 left to play. FGCU netted a jumper and two free throws in the final seconds, but the Owls used their late run to cruise to the victory holding the Eagles to only five points in the final seven minutes of the game.

NOTES
- This is the first 20-point game this season for Terrell Burden, falling one-point shy of his career-high.
- Spencer Rodgers netted 13 of his 18 points in the second half.
- The Owls finished the game shooting 50 percent from the floor, the third time this year they have shot 50 percent or better.
- Nate Springs hit double-figures for the first time this year with 10 points, going 2-for-2 from three-point range.
- Brandon Stroud pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds.
- KSU outscored FGCU 42-26 in the paint.

UP NEXT
The Owls close out the regular season with game two against FGCU Saturday evening at 6 p.m. in the Convocation Center.

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.