By: Mark Wasik
Saturday, January 10
5 p.m. – Kennesaw State (9-6, 1-3 CUSA) vs Jax State (8-7, 3-1 CUSA)
Location: Kennesaw, Ga. | VyStar Arena (3,805)
TV: ESPN+ (Nolan Alexander, Brandon Johnson, Maria Martin)
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KENNESAW, Ga. – For the second straight year, Kennesaw State men's basketball will host its annual Dark Mode Game (Black Out) against Jax State, as the Owls welcome the Gamecocks to VyStar Arena on Saturday night. The game will tip off at 5 p.m. in VyStar Arena and will be streamed live on ESPN+. All fans are encouraged to wear black to the game, and free KSU Dark Mode T-Shirts will be available to fans while supplies last.
A FEW NOTES
♦ KSU has the upper hand in the all-time series, having won four straight dating back to the conference championship season of 2022-23 when the two teams were both in the Atlantic Sun. That included a win by the Owls on Jax State's Senior Day this past season that knocked them out of a share of the regular season conference title.
♦ The Owls are scoring at high rate, currently 22nd in the nation at 89.0 points per game, which easily leads Conference USA.
♦ Senior guard Simeon Cottle meanwhile paces the league in scoring at 19.7 points per game, 40th in the nation. In the Owls' last contest, he scored a game-high 25 points to give him 1,502 in his career, becoming the fifth Owl to ever reach the 1,500 point mark.
♦ KSU has always been a fast-paced team under Pettway, and that's not changing in his third year at the helm of the Owls. KSU ranked in the top five in the nation in adjusted tempo in his first year, and currently is ninth at 74.3 (possessions per 40 minutes).
♦ KSU is having another strong year in the boards as well, ranking second in the nation in total rebounds per game (45.9 rpg) and 14th in rebound margin (+10.4) in the nation.
♦ It's also been a strong year defensively for the Owls as well, currently 23rd in the nation in field goal defense at 39.0%.
