Box Score | Postgame Press Conference – Coach Antoine Pettway
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KENNESAW, Ga. – A cold night of shooting from the floor was too much to overcome for Kennesaw State, as the Owls were held to just nine points over the final 11 minutes in a 60-49 setback to New Mexico State on Saturday in Conference USA men's basketball action from the Convocation Center. KSU fell to 16-12, 8-7 in CUSA play with just its third home loss of the season. That moves the Owls into fifth place in the conference standings, while NMSU jumped into fourth place at 8-6 (15-12 overall).
STAT OF THE GAME: KSU was held to just 33% from the floor for the game, including 6-of-24 in the second half for 25%.
THE FIRST HALF: It was the visiting Aggies who struggled from the floor at the start, as KSU held them without a field goal for the first nine minutes. Simeon Cottle scored seven points in the opening seven minutes, giving KSU a 9-2 edge. The lead was still 13-6 with 9:41 on the clock when the Aggies scored the next six points of the game to close within 13-12. Cottle would drain a jumper to give the Owls a 17-14 lead, but the Aggies would close the half go on a 8-2 run to go up 22-19, before Cottle made two free throws with 19 seconds on the clock. That made the score 22-21 in favor of NMSU going into the break.
THE SECOND HALF: Braedan Lue and Adrian Wooley combined for six points in the first three minutes to put the Owls up 27-25. The lead would change hands five more times, and the Owls' last lead came on a Cottle jumper at 13:13 for a 37-36 lead. After the Aggies went up three, Cottle went 3-of-4 at the line on the next two offensive possessions to tie the game at 40-40 with 10:44 left to play. KSU would not score again for over four minutes, and not hit a field goal for over seven minutes, and the Aggies took advantage by reeling off 10 unanswered for a 10-point lead, 50-40 with over seven to play. KSU came no closer than seven the rest of the way.
NOTES
- Cottle led the Owls with 17 points, while Wooley finished with 14. The next highest scorer was Frankquon Sherman with seven.
- Rongie Gordon grabbed seven rebounds on his Senior Night but was held to just 20 minutes due to foul trouble.
- KSU's 21 points in the first half are the lowest in a half this year, as was KSU's 49 total points.
- The Owls came into the game ranked fourth in the nation in rebounding and are top-20 in rebound margin, but lost the battle of the boards 38-31.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Owls will end the regular season with three straight on the road, starting with a Thursday, Feb. 27 contest at FIU in Miami. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.
