KSU vs Eastern Kentucky Box Score (PDF) | Postgame Press Conference
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KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State took first-place Eastern Kentucky down to the final minutes, but the Owls couldn't overcome the Colonels' hot shooting from long range in the second half in an 86-76 loss on Saturday night in front of 2,357 fans in the Convocation Center. The Owls dropped to 13-10 overall, 4-5 in league play, while EKU moved to 12-10, 8-1 in the Atlantic Sun.
STAT OF THE GAME: EKU won the game from three-point land, as the visitors knocked down 7-of-10 from behind the arc in the second half, while the Owls were just 3-of-11 in the second half, a difference of 12 points. Overall, the Colonels were 13-of-27 (48.1%) from deep, and KSU finished 8-of-25 (32%).
THE FIRST HALF: The Owls jumped out to an early 9-2 lead, as they held EKU to just one field goal out of its first eight attempts. A 9-2 run for the visitors put them ahead 11-10, and after
Quincy Ademokoya scored on a dunk for KSU for a 11-10 lead, the Colonels countered with a three-pointer to go up two. EKU would not trail again in the half, but the Owls never let the game get completely away, staying within two possessions for most of the rest of the half. A three-pointer from
Terrell Burden made it a 39-36 lead in favor of EKU going into halftime.
THE SECOND HALF: Burden was on fire in the second half, and scored back-to-back layups in the first 36 seconds after halftime to put the Owls back up 40-39. Two straight treys from EKU gave the lead back to the Colonels, and after a
Simeon Cottle layup, another three-pointer pushed the deficit for KSU back to six. The lead grew to 10 before the Owls scored six unanswered, with a layup from freshman
RJ Johnson cutting the edge to 62-58 with just over 10 minutes to play. But as they did all second half, EKU kept answering Owl rallies with a three-pointer, this time to go up 65-58. After a Burden trey brought KSU within 73-69, another three-pointer from EKU pushed the lead back to seven again. KSU's final chance came after a three-pointer from Cottle cut the edge to six, 80-74, but the Owls would come up short on their next three possessions, allowing the Colonels to put the game away.
NOTES
-Burden posted his second 30+ point game of the season, as he finished with a game-high 33 points, which ranks for the 10
th-most ever scored by an Owl in their Division I era. He also became the third Owl all-time to reach the 1,500 career point mark, and he currently stands with 1,502 points all-time. He was 13-of-26 from the floor, and added eight rebounds and six assists.
-Also in double-figures was Simeon with 13.
-As a team, the Owls shot 40.5% (30-of-74), and made 8-of-14 at the line (57.1%).
-EKU held a 42-37 edge on the boards, and a 22-11 advantage on second chance points.
NEXT TIME OUT: KSU will be on the road for a pair of games, starting with a Thursday, Feb. 8 contest at Austin Peay at 8 p.m. (ET).
