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FORT MYERS, Fla. – In a game that tied for the most points scored in Kennesaw State men's basketball Division I history, the Owls were perfect in overtime to outlast FGCU 102-100 to claim the championship title at the GEICO Coconut Hoops (Tarpon Bay Division) on Wednesday night. The Owls have now won four straight games in the all-time series against FGCU, including three straight in Alico Arena, and improved to 5-2 on the season, while the Eagles dropped to 5-3 overall.
STAT OF THE GAME: KSU was 4-of-4 from the floor in the extra period, including 2-of-2 from three-point range, and 12-of-12 at the free throw line on the way to a 22-point overtime.
OWL OF THE GAME: Simeon Cottle was stellar for the Owls, scoring a career-high 33 points on 7-of-13 shooting and 5-8 from three-point range. He scored 11 of his 33 points in overtime, as he hit an early big three to put KSU up eight, and then was 8-of-8 at the free throw line over the final 78 seconds, part of an overall 14-of-14 performance at the charity stripe.
THE FIRST HALF: KSU was hot to start the game, scoring the first six points for an early 8-0 lead, and the Owls lead 13-6 off Cottle's second trey of the game. FGCU's Jordan Ellerbee kept the Eagles in the game though, as he scored the home team's first 15 points, on the way to a perfect shooting half (8-8 FGs, 2-2 from three-point range, 9-9 on free throws). The rest of the team was just 5-of-21 in the first half, but managed to add just enough to Ellerbee's scoring to give FGCU its first lead of the game at 26-25. From there it was a back and forth contest the rest of the half. The Owls ran a play to get
Braedan Lue a go-ahead layup in the final seconds to give KSU a 45-44 edge going into the break. Ellerbee finished the half with 27 points for FGCU, part of a 42-point night, just one off the Eagles' single game record.
THE SECOND HALF: FGCU led the majority of the second half, and went up eight on a three-pointer five minutes in for a 59-51 edge. A 15-6 KSU run gave the Owls the lead back at 10:53, but the Eagles countered with a 10-2 run of its own to go back up seven, 75-68 with 6:13 on the clock. KSU then shut the Eagles down on defense, only allowing one made field goal over the rest of regulation. A layup from
RJ Johnson ignited an 8-0 run, with
Kaden Rickard's short jumper in the lane putting KSU up 76-75. The Owls would never trail in the game again, though a free throw from FGCU with under 30 seconds left sent the KSU to overtime for the second time in three days at 80-80.
OVERTIME: KSU quickly took a five-point edge thanks to a
Trey Simpson three and a pair of free throws from Johnson. Cottle's trey put KSU ahead 90-82, but the Eagles wouldn't go away, closing within three four times. Each time the Owls were fouled and sank a pair of free throws to go back up five, the final time with six seconds left. A three-pointer with just three seconds left for FGCU accounted for the final two-point margin.
NOTES
- Lue had a strong game for the Owls with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting while he also added eight rebounds.
- Also in double-figures was Johnson with 10 points and
Ramone Seals with 10.
- As a team, KSU shot 50.8% (32-of-63), and made 29-of-36 at the line for 80.6%.
- KSU won the battle of the boards 45-35, and outscored the Eagles in the paint 46-34.
- The Owls are now 5-1 in overtime contests under Coach
Antoine Pettway over the past three seasons.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Owls come home to Kennesaw to begin a three-game homestand next month, starting with a Tuesday, Dec. 2 contest against Jackson State at 7 p.m. in VyStar Arena. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
The Owls Fund
The Owls Fund is the primary fundraising arm of Kennesaw State Athletics with the goal of supporting our student-athletes, coaches and each of our 18 NCAA Division I programs. Through initiatives such as Legacy Lockers, the Dot Martin Scholarship Golf Classic, sport-specific giving opportunities, general donations and season tickets, The Owls Fund connects fans with KSU's programs and student-athletes. Members receive exclusive benefits such as hospitality seating areas and events at Kennesaw State home games, and more. Join The Owls Fund here and discover more opportunities on how you can support Kennesaw State Athletics.
