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MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Down eight points with five minute to play, Kennesaw State nearly pulled off a huge comeback, as the Owls had three chances in the last 67 seconds to tie or take the lead but they would come up short, dropping their Conference USA opener 68-67 at Middle Tennessee on Wednesday night at the Murphy Center. The Owls fell to 8-3 overall with the setback, while MTSU moved to 6-4.
STAT OF THE GAME: For only the second-time under Coach
Antoine Pettway, the Owls were held to just three total three-point field goals. KSU finished 3-of-20 for 15%, after entering the game among the nation's leaders in both makes (10.8 per game) and percentage (36.6%).
THE FIRST HALF: Foul trouble for the Owls was the story of the opening half, as they were whistled for seven in the first eight minutes of the game, while leading scorer
Simeon Cottle was limited to just nine minutes after being handed three fouls. Middle Tennessee took advantage, opening up a 17-9 lead, as despite the Blue Raiders struggles from the floor, they were awarded 10 free throws in the opening nine minutes. That helped them offset a 38% shooting performance from the floor. The Owls meanwhile shot 48% from the field, but connected on just one three-point attempt. More damaging, KSU turned the ball over 11 times in the first stanza, and MTSU's 16-3 edge on points off turnovers would be another key difference in helping them to a 38-29 halftime advantage.
THE SECOND HALF: The Owls took better care of the ball in the second half, but managed just one field goal and six total points in the first six minutes. MTSU took its largest lead of the game, 51-37, with 14:06 on the clock. KSU then made its first run of the half, as
Amir Taylor's layup started a 10-0 spurt to make it a four-point game with 10 minutes left in the contest. A RJ layup made it a two-point game with under seven left, but the Blue Raiders countered with six unanswered points, all at the free throw line, to go up 63-55 with 5:54 to play.
KSU would allow just two MTSU field goals the rest of the way. A 6-0 run brought KSU within two again, and then after the teams traded three-point field goals,
Frankquon Sherman was fouled on a dunk attempt with a minute to play. He made the second after missing the first, and the Owls then forced a five-second call on the inbounds play for MTSU. That set up a play to take the lead, but Cottle's drive to the lane through traffic under the basket was off the mark. The Blue Raiders then had two shots on the other end but the Owls stood strong, forced a second miss with six seconds left, and advanced the ball up to Cottle for another layup attempt that was knocked out by MTSU with .8 seconds left. KSU's final shot attempt was after the buzzer, allowing the Blue Raiders to escape with the win.
NOTES
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Braedan Lue led the Owls with a season-high 20 points, which is also the second 20+ point game of his career.
- Cottle added 12 points for KSU, 11 coming in the second half.
- Sherman notched his second double-double of the year thanks to 11 points and a career-high 15 rebounds.
- KSU, who came into the game as the top rebounding team in the nation, held a 44-39 edge on the boards, as well as a 13-6 advantage on second-chance points.
- The Owls' three games against Middle Tennessee in CUSA play have been decided by a combined seven points, including back-to-back one-point losses.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Owls will close out their non-conference game with a contest against No. 16 Alabama on Sunday, Dec. 21 in Huntsville, Alabama. The game, which tips off at 2 p.m. (ET) will be played in VBC Prospt Arena, and 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.
