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FORT MYERS, Fla. – Kennesaw State's
Isaiah Reddish and
Spencer Rodgers combined for 36 points as they helped the Owls rally from a 16-point first-half deficit to down just four late, before KSU eventually fell by an 82-76 score at FGCU in ASUN Conference men's basketball action Wednesday night from Alico Arena. The teams split the season series, with the Owls dropping to 11-15 overall and 6-7 in league play, which keeps them alone in fourth place in the East Division. The Eagles meanwhile improved to 18-9, 8-5 in the ASUN with their fifth straight win.
STAT OF THE GAME: The Eagles' biggest advantage came from three-point land. FGCU finished the night shooting 13-of-32 (40.6%), including hitting 6-of-13 in the opening half, while overall the Eagles made 54.5% of its shots in the first half. KSU meanwhile struggled at the start of the night, making just 11-of-28 (39.3%) in the first half.
FIRST HALF: It was a tight game in the opening five minutes, and a Rodgers' layup put the visitors up 9-8 early. FGCU then scored the next six points of the game, part of an overall 24-7 run. The Owls managed to slow the bleeding a little thanks to a pair of three-pointers during the run, but six straight from FGCU made it a 32-16 game with 6:15 to play.
KSU wouldn't go quietly, scoring the next eight points of the game to close within single digits at 32-24, and went into halftime down by 13 (42-29).
SECOND HALF: The Owls kept came roaring out to start the second half, scoring the first seven points including back-to-back baskets from Rodgers. His second, a trey, brought KSU within 42-36 with 18:10 to go in the game. Though the Eagles answered with a pair of three-pointers, KSU kept the deficit below 11 the rest of the way. Five straight points from Reddish closed the Owls to down just four at 7:47 to play. It was still a two-possession game, 70-64 with 4:10 to play, when FGCU scored the next five points go extend the lead back to 11. The Owls would cut the edge to four one last time off a Rodgers three-pointer but there was only 10 seconds left. Two more free throws finished off the win for FGCU.
QUOTEABLE:
"It was a tough first half for our team tonight, and too many turnovers in the second half were the difference in the game. We have to continue to focus on improving each game. This was the second game in a row where we've gotten down big in the first half and had to battle back. I'm proud of our resolve because from a growth standpoint there is a sense of pride in our program now that wasn't there before. Now we have to take pride in having consistent focus and energy for 40 minutes. That's part of having a young team that's still learning how to have championship habits."-
Head Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim
NOTES
- One bright spot for KSU was its effort on offense in the second half, as the Owls shot 70.4% (19-of-27) from the floor, including 5-of-9 from behind the arc. Overall, KSU shot 54.5% (30-of-55), marking the first time this season the Owls lost while shooting over 50%.
- Rodgers nearly missed a double-double, as he finished with a game-high nine rebounds along with his 17 points, while Reddish led all scorers with 19.
- Also scoring in double-figures was
Demond Robinson with 15 and
Chris Youngblood with 10.
- The Owls tied FGCU on the boards with 32 rebounds each. KSU did finish with 14 turnovers to just 10 for the Eagles.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Owls finish their road trip to the Sunshine State with a Saturday, Feb. 19 contest at Jacksonville, with a 6 p.m. tip.
