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KENNESAW, Ga. – Freshman
Trey Simpson came up with the game-saving block in the final seconds to give the Owls a thrilling 72-69 come-from-behind victory over Western Kentucky in Conference USA men's basketball action on Wednesday night at VyStar Arena. With their seventh straight home win, the Owls moved to 13-8 overall, 5-5 in conference play, while the Hilltoppers dropped to 11-10, 4-6 in the league.
STAT OF THE GAME: For the second time this season, KSU held the Hilltoppers to below 30% shooting from the floor, holding WKU to 20-of-69 (29.0%). That included a 7-of-29 performance from three-point land (24.1%). The Owls meanwhile shot 43.4%, 43.8% (7-of-16) from behind the arc.
OWL OF THE GAME: RJ Johnson led all scorers with 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting, 4-of-6 on three-pointers, while adding four assists and three blocks.
THE SECOND HALF: Kennesaw State was held to just 16 points in the first 13:30 of the second half, which allowed the Hilltoppers to take the lead and slowly extend the margin to 10 points, 63-53 with 6:30 on the clock.
Amir Taylor then helped to spark the game-changing run, as on back-to-back possessions he converted three-point plays, the second of which ignited a 10-0 run.
Jaden Harris capped the run with a three with 3:01 left for a 67-65 Owl lead, their first since it was 44-43. After the Hilltoppers tied the score, Johnson answered with a trey to put the Owls back up three. WKU hit a pair of free throws to close the margin to 70-69, and that was the margin going into the final seconds as the Hilltoppers held the ball with under 27 seconds to go. WKU called timeout with 14 seconds left to set up a play for Grant Newell to get to the basket, but as he rose to dunk the ball that would put the Hilltoppers ahead, Simpson challenged the attempt and knocked it away. The Owls came up with the rebound and would sink a pair of free throws with a second left to seal the win.
THE FIRST HALF: Braedan Lue was the story of the first half, scoring 10 points in the first six minutes, while a three-point play from
Darius Washington III gave the Owls a 17-12 edge. The lead stayed between one to two possessions the rest of the half, though the Hilltoppers sank a pair of free throws with two seconds left to make it a 37-36 edge at the break. Lue finished with 14 first half points, while Johnson added 13.
NOTES
- KSU claims the season sweep over the Hilltoppers, their third sweep over a CUSA team since entering the league a season ago.
- This was the Owls' second win while trailing by double-digits in the second half this month, as KSU was also down 13 points to FIU late before escaping with an 89-86 win on Jan. 14.
- Lue was the other Owl in double-figures for scoring with 16, while
Frankquon Sherman grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.
- The Owls came away with the victory despite struggling at the line, hitting just 19-of-30 (63.3%), including 10-of-19 (52.6%) in the second half.
- KSU shot 43.4% for the game (23-of-53), and was 7-of-20 from three-point range (35%).
- This marked the lowest points scored by the Owls in a victory this season.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Owls continue their homestand with their first game of the year against New Mexico State. The two teams will face off in VyStar Arena on Saturday at 5 p.m. 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.
