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KENNESAW, Ga. – Senior
Simeon Cottle scored 28 points, including 19 in the first half to lead Kennesaw State to its fifth straight win over Jax State with an 88-82 victory in Conference USA men's basketball action on Saturday night from VyStar Arena. The Owls improved to 10-6 overall, 2-3 in league play with the win, while the Gamecocks dropped to 8-8, 3-2 in the conference.
STAT OF THE GAME: KSU came up big on the hustle stats, as it owned both a 14-4 edge on points off turnovers, as well as a 17-9 advantage on second chance points.
OWL OF THE GAME: Redshirt sophomore
RJ Johnson came up big for the Black and Gold off the bench, scoring 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting while adding five rebounds and four assists. 11 of his 16 points came after halftime.
THE FIRST HALF: Jax State led twice in the second half, the second time at 11-10 five minutes into the contest.
Braedan Lue then drained a jumper to start a 9-0 spurt for the Owls, putting them up 19-11 with 12:37 on the clock. KSU would increase the lead to as high as 11 twice, the last after a run of six straight points by Cottle made the score 40-29 with 4:44 on the clock. The Gamecocks would respond though, going on a 12-3 run over the next 2:44, and it would be just a 46-43 lead for the Owls going into the break.
THE SECOND HALF: It was a tight battle the rest of the way, as while the Owls never gave up their lead, it was a one-to-two possession contest for the majority of the second half. Four times KSU pushed its lead up to eight, and the Gamecocks countered every time. The closest Jax State came was near the end of the contest, when an 8-2 run made it a 78-77 game with 2:25 on the clock.
Frankquon Sherman would make three free throws in an 18-second span to put the Owls back up four, while Cottle sank six-of-six at the line in the final 79 seconds to finish out the win.
NOTES
- Cottle broke the Kennesaw State all-time career three-point record with his first made trey, and finished the game 5-of-9 from three-point range, pushing the new record to 237. He also was 11-of-12 at the line.
- Joining Cottle and Johnson in double-figures was Sherman with 12 points and eight rebounds, while
Braedan Lue added 10.
- As a team, KSU shot 47.4%, including 50% in the second half, and was 25-of-34 at the line. Jax State meanwhile finished at 48.3% from the floor, and was just 17-of-27 for 63% at the free throw line.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Owls conclude their three-game homestand against FIU on Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m. in VyStar Arena. The game 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.
