By: Mark Wasik
Friday, March 14
Conference USA Semifinals
12:30 p.m. (ET) – #4 seed Kennesaw State (19-13, 10-8 CUSA) vs #1 seed Liberty (26-6, 13-5 CUSA)
Location: Huntsville, Ala. | Propst Arena (9,000)
TV: CBS Sports Network (John Sadak, Michael O'Donnell, Tiffany Blackmon)
Radio: KSU Owl Network (Nolan Alexander, Brandon Johnson)
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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Kennesaw State is set for its first appearance in the Conference USA semifinals, as the fourth-seeded Owls face top-seed Liberty on Friday. This year's tournament is being hosted in Propst Arena in Huntsville, Ala., and Friday's contest will tip off on the CBS Sports Network at 12:30 p.m. (ET).
A FEW NOTES
♦ KSU has just 16 hours inbetween Thursday night's thrilling 80-77 victory over fifth-seed New Mexico State before facing the Flames.
♦ The teams split the regular season, and both games were also televised on CBS Sports Network, with each team winning on the other's home court.
♦ This is the third meeting in conference tournament play between the two teams. KSU fell to top-seed Liberty in the 2021 Atlantic Sun Tournament in Jacksonville, and two years later topped the Flames 67-66 to win its first-ever conference tournament title in Ken
♦ A huge difference for Kennesaw State this year is its work on the defensive side. A year ago, the Owls ranked 186th in field goal percentage defense and 263rd in three-point percentage defense. KSU has made a complete turnaround in 2024-25, ranking 49th in the nation in field goal defense at 41.2%, which is also fifth in Conference USA.
♦ KSU has been pounding the boards this season, as the Owls currently rank ninth in the nation in rebounding at 40.6 per game, which paces Conference USA. They are also 20th in rebound margin at +6.5, also the top mark in the league.
♦ This week's tournament is a homecoming for second-year head coach Antoine Pettway, who after his career at Alabama played the 2004-05 season in the NBA G League for the Huntsville Flight.
