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LYNCHBURG, Va. – Kennesaw State spotted Liberty the first 10 points of the game before using a sizzling second-half shooting performance to rally for an 85-80 victory in Conference USA men's basketball action on Sunday afternoon from Liberty Arena. With their first-ever road win over the Flames, KSU moved to 17-13 overall and 9-8 in league play to hold onto sole possession of fifth place in the standings, while Liberty dropped to 23-6, 11-5 in CUSA.
STAT OF THE GAME: KSU is the first conference opponent to shoot over 50% against Liberty this season, while the 85 points are also the most allowed by the Flames this season. The Owls made 18-of-28 from the floor in the second half (64.3%) and 6-of-11 from three-point range for 54.5%. For the game, KSU shot 50.8% from the floor, 37.9% from three-point range, while Liberty was limited to 45.8% for the game.
OWL OF THE GAME: Junior Simeon Cottle scored a game-high 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including 4-of-8 from three-point range.
THE FIRST HALF: On its Senior Day, Liberty scored the first 10 points and led 14-3 after a pair of free throws with 14:23 on the clock. A pair of free throws from Adrian Wooley and a three-pointer from Cottle brought the Owls within 14-8, and the lead would stay in single digits for Liberty the rest of the half. After Braedan Lue converted a layup with two minutes to play to make it a two-point contest at 36-34, Liberty reeled off a 6-0 run to go back up 42-34. It was still an eight-point lead but the Owls had the final shot, and they ran the clock down to the final seconds before Wooley found Cottle in the deep right corner in front of the LU bench. He drained a three at the buzzer to make it a 44-39 contest.
THE SECOND HALF: Back-to-back treys from Wooley and Cottle in the first 47 seconds of the second half extended the run to 9-0 and gave KSU its first lead of the afternoon at 45-44. The Flames would take the lead back twice, the last at 16:20 on a layup for a 48-47 lead. Jamil Miller answered on the other end with a corner three, this one in front of the Owl bench, that ignited a game-changing 13-0 run for KSU. Cottle and Wooley also hit threes during the run, while Rongie Gordon's jumper in the lane made it a 24-4 spurt for the Owls going back to the final seconds before halftime.
Five straight points from Frankquon Sherman gave KSU its largest lead of the day at 67-53 with 10:11 to play, before Liberty made its run. The Flames scored the next seven points and closed within 72-70 before a Lue jumper put KSU back up four. Liberty countered, and three straight free throws made it a 76-75 game with two minutes to play. The Owl backcourt then stepped up with the two biggest plays of the game. Wooley went down the lane for a layup on the next possession for a 78-75 lead, and Cottle followed with a jumper with a minute to play to put KSU up 80-75. Lue added a dunk with 35 seconds on the clock for an 82-75 lead. An NBA range three and a offensive putback from the Flames would make it a one-possession game with 16 seconds to go. Liberty was then forced to foul, and senior Ricardo Wright stepped up and sank a pair at the line to seal the victory.
POSTGAME QUOTES – HEAD COACH ANTOINE PETTWAY:
"My kids came out and played their tails off today. Great character road win for us today at Liberty. Like I say about all the teams in this conference, every single game you have to show up with your hard hat on and be ready for a battle. The thing about my guys, they fight and they believe. You saw the second half, we took every blow and responded. After the last two losses, we have to worry about us and fix ourselves and we really responded in doing that today. That locker room is second to none, amazing young men with great character that work their tail off every day and they do everything we ask of them. Super proud to get the win for our community and Kennesaw State University."
NOTES
- The Owls' backcourt duo finished with a combined 26 points, with 24 from Cottle and 22 from Wooley, who also finished with seven rebounds and six assists.
- Lue also finished in double-figures with 13 points to go along with six rebounds.
- Gordon grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds for KSU.
- The Owls won the battle of the boards 35-29.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Owls are off until Saturday, when they close out the season at rival Jacksonville State in a 3 pm (ET) contest in a game that will be streamed live on ESPN+. That will be followed by the Conference USA Tournament, held this year in Huntsville, Ala., from March 11-15.
