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KENNESAW, Ga. – Despite three players scoring 20+ points, Kennesaw State suffered a third straight loss as Sam Houston State used an 8-2 run in the final three minutes to hold on for an 83-79 win over the Owls on Saturday night in Conference USA men's basketball action from VyStar Arena. The loss dropped KSU to 14-11 overall, 6-8 in league play while the Bearkats improved to 17-8, 9-5 in the league.
STAT OF THE GAME: Sam Houston is the second straight opponent to shoot over 50%, hitting 28-of-51 from the floor (54.9%), and 7-of-17 from behind the arc (41.2%). KSU meanwhile finished 29-of-61 (47.5%), and 10-of-24 from downtown (41.7%).
THE FIRST HALF: It was a back-and-forth game in the opening ten minutes, with six lead changes and four ties. An
Amir Taylor gave KSU its last lead of the half, 21-19 with 10:50 to play, before the Bearkats scored four straight and seven of the next eight points to go up 26-22. The lead grew as high as seven for the visitors, but
RJ Johnson sparked a rally, scoring four points in a 6-0 for the Owls that tied the score at 41-41 with 1:38 to play. The Kats knocked in a pair of short jumpers to take a 45-42 lead going into the break.
THE SECOND HALF: It was a seven-point lead for the Kats in the second half when
Trey Simpson hit a pair of threes to both start and end a 10-3 run that tied the game at 57-57. The game margin was within two possessions the rest of the way, with
Braedan Lue first scoring five straight to put the Owls up 62-59. After a 10-2 run from the Kats to put them up five, Johnson and Taylor scored a layup and a three-pointer to tie the game once again. A key play happened with 3:19 on the clock and the score tied and Taylor was fouled on a defensive rebound. He hit the first free throw, but missed the second and a foul was called on Simpson while both players were battling for position for the rebound. Sam Houston would hit two free throws on the other end to take the lead back, and they never trailed again. After a Taylor layup to close within 77-76, Sam Houston scored the next four to go up 81-76 with just 10 seconds left.
POSTGAME QUOTES – HEAD COACH ANTOINE PETTWAY
"Our defense and our rebounding failed us tonight. We outrebounded them by one, but we gave up some costly rebounds, and my message to the team was until we guard better, we are going to be in these types of games and we won't end up on the right side of the stick. All of these games are going to be one to two possession games, and so we've got to do a better job of defending and staying in front of the ball."
NOTES
- Taylor set a new career-high with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting, tying for the team lead along with Johnson who also added six assists.
- Lue posted consecutive 20+ point performances for the first time in his career with 20. He also grabbed eight rebounds.
- Simpson was the fourth player in double-figures with 11.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Owls will be on the road for its first-ever trip to Springfield, Mo., as they will face Missouri State on Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 8 pm (ET). 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.
