KSU vs Northeastern Box Score (PDF)
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GREENVILLE, N.C. – Kennesaw State's
Demond Robinson sank a 12-foot shot at the buzzer to give the Owls a thrilling 79-77 victory over Northeastern in men's collegiate basketball action Monday afternoon on the second day of action in the Townebank Holiday Classic at East Carolina. In a game that saw eight ties and 10 lead changes, KSU held Northeastern without a field goal for the final 3:15 of the contest to pull out the victory and improve to 4-1 for just the second-time in program history, matching last year's start, and a perfect 2-0 Holiday Classic.
THE FINAL MINUTE: With the Owls trailing 75-73 entering the final 60 seconds, senior
Terrell Burden drove the lane and drew a foul. He sank both free throws to tie the score at 75-75, but then KSU was whistled for a foul, and Northeastern made two at the line for a 77-75 lead with 36 seconds to play. Burden however came right back down the court and down the lane for a quick layup, knotting the score at 77-77 with under 30 seconds to go. Northeastern attempted to play for the last shot, but the Owls' defensive pressure led to a bad pass out-of-bounds, giving KSU the ball with 3.9 seconds left. Burden received the inbounds ball in the backcourt, raced up the court into the lane but with his path blocked off, dished off to his left to a trailing Robinson, who quickly put up the jump shot that hit the basket and fill threw the net just as the horn sounded.
STAT OF THE GAME: Over the final three minutes, the Huskies were limited to just a pair of free throws, two missed shots and forced into three turnovers. KSU would score four points off those turnovers, the game-tying and game-winning baskets.
ROCK SOLID PLAYER OF THE GAME: Robinson finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, two assist and two steals in the victory.
THE FIRST HALF: Northeastern led for most of the opening five minutes, until an 8-0 Owl spurt, capped by back-to-back treys from
RJ Johnson and
Demond Robinson, put KSU up 19-15 at the 12:16 mark. The Huskies battled back, and the game would be tied twice more until the Owls reeled off a 16-6 spurt over a 4+ minute span.
Terrell Burden scored six of his 12 first-half points during the run, while
Frankquon Sherman finished things off with a basket at 4:32 for a 39-29 advantage. The Huskies managed to force turnovers on the next several possessions and took advantage to end the half on a 13-4 run to make it a 43-42 game at the halftime buzzer.
THE SECOND HALF: Northeastern came out firing in the second half, outscoring the Owls 11-3 for its largest lead of the game at 53-46 with 16:29 on the clock. An 11-4 spurt from KSU would tie the game again at 57-57 thanks to a layup from
Simeon Cottle. The lead would switch hands several more times, and Northeastern opened up a 75-71 lead with just over three to play. Robinson countered on the other end with a basket, leading into the final minute of play.
POSTGAME QUOTES
KSU HEAD COACH ANTOINE PETTWAY
"I told them to just keep fighting, keep chopping wood, and I knew the game would swing back in our way. We want to play our tempo and dictate the overall tempo of the game, this was an identity game. They are not as fast paced on offense, and we're one of the fastest teams in the nation, so we knew if we got stops, our pace would win out. We needed stops,
Rongie Gordon and
Demond Robinson were great on the defensive end, and I just can't say enough about how much I love these guys."
NOTES
-This was the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
-Burden led all players in scoring with a season-high 24 points. He was 9-of-13 from the floor, 6-of-9 at the line.
-Also in double-figures was Johnson with 12 off the bench.
-KSU shot 44.8% (30-of-67) for the game and 14-of-17 at the line (82.4%) but made just 5-of-23 from three-point range (21.7%).
-The Owls forced 22 turnovers and turned those into 24 points. KSU also held a 19-11 edge on second change points, thanks to grabbing 13 offensive rebounds.
-Northeastern shot 50% (24-of-48) for the game but was just 2-of-11 from three-point range for 18.2%. That included going 0-of-5 in the second half.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Owls conclude play in the Holiday Classic on Tuesday as they meet the host East Carolina Pirates at 6 p.m. in a game streamed live on ESPN+.
