Box Score | Simeon Cottle PC Video | Antonie Pettway PC Video | Jamil Miller PC Video
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KENNESAW, Ga. – Simeon Cottle scored a game-high 22 points while Kennesaw State used its edge on the boards and a strong night at the free throw line to hold off Abilene Christian 84-78 in men's collegiate basketball action on Wednesday night from the Convocation Center. Playing against a physical ACU defense, the Owls rallied from a halftime deficit to shoot 61.1% from the floor in the second half to improve to 4-1 on the year, tying for the best start to the season in the team's D1 era.
STAT OF THE GAME: KSU came into the night as one of the top rebounding teams in the nation, and while the Owls' 35 total rebounds were 15 under their average, they held a +13 advantage over the Wildcats. That resulted into a 11-2 edge on second chance points, helping to offset ACU's 21-5 advantage on points off turnovers.
OWL OF THE GAME: Freshman
Jamil Miller tied his career-high with 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting while going 6-of-8 at the line. He also grabbed seven rebounds, including a key board in the final minute.
THE FIRST HALF: ACU used its defensive pressure to cause ten first-half turnovers by the Owls, which were turned into 12 points for the Wildcats. That helped fuel ACU into the lead for the majority of the half, and they went up by six several times, the last at 1:32 on a short jumper for a 42-36 lead. Miller and Cottle ended the half with two free throws each in the final minute to make it a 42-40 contest.
THE SECOND HALF: The lead was three for the visitors when a pair of free throws started a 7-0 burst for the Owls over a 90-second span.
Frankquon Sherman capped the run with a jumper for a 52-48 lead with 14:59 to play, and KSU would not trail again. It was a five-point game, 66-61, when the Owls made six straight free throws while
Ricardo Wright scored on back-to-back layups for a 76-64 advantage with 5:27 on the clock. ACU had a run left, scoring six straight to cut the lead in half, and following a free throw from KSU, scored four straight to close with 77-74 with 2:43 left in the game. With the Owls leading 78-74, Miller soared for a big defensive rebound and drew a foul. He would connect on both to make the score 80-74 with 1:31 on the clock, but ACU scored the next four to close within 80-78 with 28 seconds to play. KSU would get the ball to Cottle on the next two possessions, and he sank a pair of free throws on both trips to the line to seal the win.
NOTES
- KSU starts the year at 4-1 for the third consecutive season.
- This was the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
- The Owls split their games in the CUSA/WAC Challenge, as their only loss for the season was 88-84 at Cal Baptist on Nov. 9.
- Joining Cottle and Miller in double-figure scoring was
Adrian Wooley with 17 and
Rongie Gordon with 11.
- KSU made a season-high 33 free throws, going 33-of-41 for an 80.5% performance.
- The Owls shot a season-high 53.7% (22-of-41) from the floor while hitting 7-of-16 from downtown.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Owls host 24
th-ranked Rutgers on Sunday, Nov. 24 at 1 p.m. in the Convocation Center. The game will be on CBS Sports Network, making it the first-ever regular-season men's basketball game at Kennesaw State to be nationally televised.
