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KENNESAW, Ga. – For the second straight game, Kennesaw State gave up a big run at the end of the first half, and despite playing Liberty even in the second was not able to overcome its struggles from three-point range in a 65-50 loss to the preseason favorite Flames in ASUN men's basketball action Monday from the Convocation Center.
Though they never led, the Owls kept it close for the majority of the first half. KSU (9-12, 4-4) trailed just 18-15 before Liberty (15-7, 6-1) reeled off a game-changing 18-4 run, claiming a 17-point edge right before the end of the half. Though both teams scored 29 each in the second half, KSU's inability to connect from downtown hampered its comeback attempt.
STAT OF THE GAME: Not only did the Flames finish the night shooting 53.2% from the floor (25-of-47), they were also almost as efficient from three-point land, making 10-of-21 for 47.6%. KSU meanwhile connected on just four of its 23 attempts from downtown (17.4%) and were 21-of-55 overall for the game for 38.2%.
FIRST HALF: The Owls kept within pace of Liberty in the first half thanks to a balanced attack that saw six different players score in the opening 13 minutes. That included a
Chris Youngblood jumper to tie the game at 6-6, followed by another Youngblood layup for an 8-8 tie. A 5-0 run from
Kasen Jennings closed KSU within 18-15 at the 7:03 mark.
Liberty then hit three treys over the next three minutes to open up a 31-17 edge. The visitors led by as much as 17, 36-19 in the first half before a
Brandon Stroud steal and dunk cut the halftime edge to 36-21.
SECOND HALF: Demond Robinson opened the half with a jumper to close KSU within 13, 36-23. Liberty countered with seven unanswered and led by as much as 26 before the Owls cut the final margin at 15.
QUOTEABLE:
"You never want to take away a thing from the other team, I have the utmost respect for Coach McKay and the job that they do. But at the end of the day, it's our eighth game in 17 days. Just like on Saturday, we didn't have any pop tonight. Saturday, we didn't try, tonight I thought we tried, we tried to push through. But to be sitting here at 4-4 in the league, we still have a lot of basketball to play, a lot of play for. Not only for this season but as a program as we keep building."
– Head Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim
NOTES
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Spencer Rodgers led KSU in scoring with 10 points, while Jennings was next with eight.
-The Owls did force 13 turnovers, turning that into a 17-11 edge on points off turnovers.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Owls are on the road for a pair of games in the Bluegrass State, starting with Thursday's 7:30 p.m. contest at Eastern Kentucky in Richmond. That will be followed by a Saturday, 7:00 p.m. game at Bellarmine in Louisville.
