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KENNESAW, Ga. – It was a dominating defensive performance by Kennesaw State on Thursday night, as the Owls held Austin Peay to just 34% from the floor and almost doubled them up on the boards on the way to their sixth straight win, 84-57, in ASUN men's basketball action from the Convocation Center in front of 1,945 fans. The win was the 11th straight at home for KSU, already a school record, and is tied for the 11th-longest active streak in the nation, as is the Owls' overall win streak. More importantly, the Owls moved to 16-6 overall and remained tied for first in the conference with Liberty at 8-1 in league play, with a full two-game lead over third-place Eastern Kentucky and Stetson.
STAT OF THE GAME #1: Austin Peay was limited to 18-of-53 shooting for 34.0%, the lowest allowed by Kennesaw State against a Division I opponent this season. That included a 19% (4-of-21) effort from three-point range for the visitors.
STAT OF THE GAME #2: The Owls grabbed a season-high 50 rebounds, while Austin Peay finished with just 26. The edge on the offensive boards was a 14-6 edge for KSU.
OWL OF THE GAME: While four players finished in double-figures, Demond Robinson and Brandon Stroud stood out as each recorded a double-double in the game. This is the second time this year the duo accomplished that feat in the same game, along with the Owls' road game at VCU on Nov. 26. Robinson finished the night with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Stroud posted 13 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. It was Robinson's second double-double of the year, and a team-leading fourth for Stroud.
THE FIRST HALF: KSU never trailed in the game and jumped out to an early 7-1 lead with the first four points of the game coming from Stroud. The lead grew as high as nine, but the Governors made a rally, closing within 20-18 with 9:56 left on the clock. The Owls responded with a 10-1 run, going up 10 with six minutes to play in the opening half. The lead grew as high as 15 before Austin Peay scored the last five points of the half to close within 39-29 at the break.
THE SECOND HALF: After KSU again pushed the lead to 15 points, the Govs slowly climbed back into the game, closing within 47-38 on a hook shot with 15:51 on the clock. The Owls then completely clamped down on defense, allowing just 10 points over the next 10 minutes. KSU reeled off 25 points during the stretch, opening up a 72-48 cushion with 6:21, and would cruise the rest of the way.
QUOTEABLE:
-On playing a taller Austin Peay squad - "We play four guards, so with an untraditional lineup, there has to be a certain grit and toughness that you play with, your mindset, you have to play more physical, and tonight we did a great job to get 50 rebounds, 14 offensive rebounds, and for Brandon Stroud, 13 points, 11 rebounds but four offensive rebounds, it doesn't get better than that. We might play teams taller than us, but I like our heart, our toughness, our grit.
-On the play of Demond Robinson - "Demond, the toughness and physical competitiveness, it really sets the tone for our team. I thought we did a really good job tonight though with our defense, look at our numbers and we held them to 34%, 19% from three, I don't care who you're playing, if you have numbers like that you're pretty good and the defensive end is where we want to hang our hat."
-Head Coach Amir Abdur-Rahim
NOTES
-KSU's 16th win of the season extends the school record for most wins in a season, as the previous record was 14 in 2016-17.
-The six-game win streak is tied for the second-longest in school history (Division I era), trailing only the seven-game streak set in the 2005-06 season.
-KSU has passed its ASUN win total from a year ago (7-9).
-Thursday's attendance of 1,945 was the 10th largest home crowd in school history.
-KSU has held double-digit halftime leads in three straight games, including tonight's 10-point edge.
-This was the first-ever meeting between KSU and Austin Peay.
-The Owls dominated inside with a 40-22 edge on points in the paint.
-Chris Youngblood led all scorers with 19 points, while Terrell Burden joined him in double-figures with 10.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Owls continue their homestand as they host Lipscomb on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 5 pm, following the KSU women's game against Central Arkansas at 2 pm in the Convocation Center. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.
