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KENNESAW, Ga. – In a high-scoring thriller from VyStar Arena, Kennesaw State led for over 32 minutes but could not find enough offense in the final two minutes to hold off a late Middle Tennessee surge as the Owls fell 90-87 on Wednesday night in Conference USA men's basketball action. The loss dropped KSU to 14-10 overall, and both teams are now in a three-way tie for sixth place in the conference at 6-7.
STAT OF THE GAME: The Owls went just six deep for the majority of the night, with the other two players seeing action combining for just seven minutes. The Blue Raiders meanwhile received huge contributions from its bench, most notably 22 points from Sean Smith, and would finish with a 38-3 edge on bench points in the game.
THE FIRST HALF: Both teams shot over 50%, and were over 60% for the majoring of the opening stanza. A run of three three-pointers from three different Owls sparked an 11-2 run that would give KSU a 30-20 edge with 9:06 to play, and a trey from
Jaden Harris put the Owls up 40-40 with 54 seconds left. Smith would score five straight to end the half for the visitors, making it a four-point lead at the break.
THE SECOND HALF: A 9-4 run to open the second half put MTSU ahead 54-53, and the teams would battle back and forth the rest of the way, as there were 11 lead changes and five ties in the second half. Down 73-72, a
Braedan Lue jumper started a 7-2 run for KSU, with a
Frankquon Sherman trey making it a 79-75 lead with 5:12 to play. Sherman gave the Owls their final lead, 83-82 on a dunk with 2:01 to play. MTSU scored on the other end to go back up one, and the Owls came up short on the next two possessions, with Sherman being blocked on a layup attempt down the lane with 31 seconds left. The Blue Raiders then sank 6-of-6 at the line to go ahead 90-87, and held the Owls without a clear look at a game-tying three in the final seconds.
NOTES
- The loss spoiled a career-high performance from Lue, who scored 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting, while also grabbing five rebounds.
- Also in double-figures was
RJ Johnson with 21 and seven assists, Sherman with a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds, and
Trey Simpson with 12 points and seven rebounds.
- KSU shot 50% (31-of-62) for the game, and was 12-of-31 from three-point range for 38.7%.
- The Owls were hurt at the line by a 61.9% performance (13-of-21). MTSU finished 23-of-28 for 82.1%.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Owls will close out the week at home against Sam Houston State on Saturday at 5 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.
