Postgame Press Conference Videos – Adrian Wooley | Braedan Lue | Antoine Pettway
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KENNESAW, Ga. – Freshman Adrian Wooley and Braedan Lue combined for 44 points, 26 in the second half including the team's final seven points to force overtime as the Owls rallied for a 75-69 victory over Sam Houston in a thrilling Conference USA men's basketball contest from the KSU Convocation Center on Thursday night. The win moved KSU to 10-7 on the year, 2-2 in league play while the Bearkats dropped to 8-10 (1-4 CUSA).
OWL OF THE GAME: Lue recorded his first career double-double with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting while grabbing 10 rebounds. He also added three blocks in the victory.
STAT OF THE GAME: An impressive KSU defensive effort held the Kats to a season-low 30.4% field goal percentage (21-of-69). That includes limiting the visitors to just 2-of-9 shooting in the overtime period. The Owls meanwhile shot 38.% for the game, but 48% (12-of-25) in the second stanza, and 50% (3-of-6) in overtime.
THE FIRST HALF: It was a defensive battle in the first half, as the Kats played the majority of the opening 20 minutes without leading scorer Lamar Wilkerson after he picked up two early fouls. KSU meanwhile had its troubles from outside, going just 2-of-15 from long range. That led an unusually low scoring half for the Owls, who trailed 16-13 with ten minutes left before going on a 16-6 run over the next nine minutes. An Andre Weir jumper and a trey from Ricardo Wright put KSU up 29-22, but the Kats countered with a trey before the end of the half to make it a 29-25 score.
THE SECOND HALF: The second half saw each team make several runs. After KSU scored five of the first seven for a 34-28 advantage, Wilkerson scored five straight to spark a 20-4 run over a six-minute stretch. The run featured four treys from the Kats, while a free throw made the score 48-38 with 12:38 for the largest lead of the night for either team. The Owls' responded with their best defensive performance of the game, allowing just four field goals and 14 total points over the final 12 minutes. Back-to-back baskets from Lue started a 11-0 run, which was capped by a pair of acrobatic layups by Wooley, the second of which put KSU up 49-48 with 7:32 on the clock. A Wilkerson scored the Kats' next nine points, and his trey at 3:12 made it a 60-55 contest. Wooley and Lue then took over, as the two combined for a 7-0 run. A three-point play from Lue tied the game with 1:42 on the clock, while on the next possession Wooley went in for a layup and a 62-60 KSU lead. The Kats tied the game on the other end, and the contest would go into overtime.
OVERTIME: In the extra period, Sam Houston scored the first basket, which was countered by a three-pointer from Simeon Cottle. That was the Owls' first trey since the end of the first half. Lue added a pair of free throws for a three-point edge, but Wilkerson would tie the game at 69-69 after being fouled attempting a three-pointer, and making all three. With just over a minute to play, Lue made a layup through contact for a 71-69 lead, while the Owls forced a miss on the other end with under 30 seconds to play. The Kats were then forced to foul and Cottle went 4-of-4 at the line in the final 29 seconds to seal the win.
NOTES
- Wooley has scored 20 or more points in five straight and seven of the past eight games after finishing with 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting. He also added nine rebounds and a game-high four steals.
- Cottle also finished in double-figures with 19. One of the top free throw shooters in the nation, he was 8-of-8 at the line against the Kats.
- KSU won the battle of the boards by a 53-46 margin, and held a sizable edge on points in the paint at 44-20.
- This was the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
- KSU is now 3-1 in overtime contests under second-year head coach Antoine Pettway, 2-0 this season.
- The Owls won their eighth-straight home game, which is tied for the 36th-longest active streak in the nation.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Owls host Louisiana Tech on Saturday afternoon in a 5 p.m. contest from the Convocation Center. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
