Box Score | Postgame Press Conference – Antoine Pettway – Braedan Lue – Ramone Seals
Follow KSU Men's Basketball - X | Instagram
KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State's freshman class combined for 52 points to carry the Owls to their 10th home win of the year, 73-67 over FIU in Conference USA men's basketball action on Saturday night from the Convocation Center. Thanks to the win, KSU (13-9 overall) finishes the first half of the conference season at 5-4 in league play, placing them in a six-way tie for third place.
OWL OF THE GAME: Freshman Braedan Lue continued his strong run in conference play, as he finished 6-of-8 from the floor, including 3-of-3 from three-point range, while adding six rebounds and three steals.
STAT OF THE GAME: KSU shot 82.6% from the line (19-of-23), including 11-of-12 in the second half (91.7%). The Panthers meanwhile struggled all night, hitting just 13-of-27 at the charity stripe for 46.2%.
THE FIRST HALF: It was a back-and-forth game in the opening 12 minutes, with four ties and eight lead changes. A 5-0 run from the Panthers gave the visitors their last lead of the game, 19-16 with 9:37 to play in the half. The Owls score five unanswered to go back up two, before a pair of Panther free throws tied the game at 21-12. Back-to-back jumpers from Frankquon Sherman and Ramone Seals put the Owl lead at 25-21, and KSU would not trail again. A layup from freshman Adrian Wooley in the final seconds of the half would give KSU a 35-29 edge going into the break.
THE SECOND HALF: The lead grew as high as 10 three times, the third at 15:33 for a 47-37 advantage off a Lue layup. The Panthers fought back, closing within three several times, including at 56-53 with 8:31 on the clock. Simeon Cottle's first basket of the game, followed by a Lue layup would push the edge back to seven points. It was a two-possession game the rest of the way until the final minute when the Panthers made one-of-two at the line to close within 67-74. The Owls would run the clock down on the next possession before freshman Adrian Wooley drove down the middle of the lane with the shot clock winding down and laid the ball just over the front of the rim for a 69-64 edge. Cottle then made four-of-four at the line in the final 11 seconds to seal the victory.
NOTES
- Wooley was the top freshman scorer for KSU, posting 18 poitns to go along with five rebounds, four assists and three steals. He was followed by Lue's 17, 13 points from Ramone Seals in a big game off the bench, and four points from Jamil Miller.
- Cottle also finished in double-figures with 10 points after going 8-of-8 from the line.
- The win marked the first-ever for the Owls in the all-time series against FIU, and avenged a loss from a season ago in Miami.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Owls continue their homestand by hosting Western Kentucky on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. in the Convocation Center.
