KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State's Jadan Harris broke a tie game with a three-pointer with two minutes to play for the eventual game-winner, and the Owls forced four straight missed shots in the final minute to hold on for a 58-55 victory over Louisiana Tech in Conference USA men's basketball action on Saturday night from VyStar Arena. The win was the 50
th career victory for KSU Head Coach
Antoine Pettway, as he became the fastest coach in school history to reach 50 wins at the Division 1 level (91 games). KSU improved to 16-11 with its second straight win, and are tied for fourth in the league at 8-8. The Bulldogs dropped to 15-12, and also 8-8 in CUSA.
OWL OF THE GAME: Sophomore forward
Braedan Lue had a huge second half for the Owls, scoring all eight of his points while recording four of his career-high five blocks in the final 20 minutes. He also tied for the team lead in rebounds with six, while he hit a jumper with 1:47 to play to put the Owls back up by three.
STAT OF THE GAME: KSU held the Bulldogs to 33.3% from the floor, and just 20% (4-of-20) from three-point range.
THE FIRST HALF: It was a defensive struggle all game for both teams. The Owls held the early advantage, as a
Frankquon Sherman three-pointer and an alley-oop to
Trey Simpson put KSU up 5-0 early. Six straight points from
RJ Johnson extended the lead to seven at 11-4, and the Owls led 15-9 with just over 10 minutes to play. KSU was then held to just one field goal over a nine-minute stretch, and the Bulldogs went on a 16-6 run for their largest lead of the half, 25-21. A Sherman layup capped the scoring in the half, making it a 25-23 contest at the break.
THE SECOND HALF: It was a back-and-forth battle after halftime, with seven lead changes and nine ties. Johnson opened the half with a three-pointer to put the Owls up one, and that was countered by a 7-0 run from the Bulldogs for a 32-26 advantage, largest lead of the second half for either team. A Sherman dunk sparked a 8-0 run for KSU to give the lead back to the home team. It was a one-possession game for the majority of the rest of the night, and the Bulldogs last lead came off a three-pointer and then a one-of-two trip to the free throw line for a 51-50 lead at the 3:18 mark.
Kaden Rickard drained a three-point attempt to put KSU up two, while the Bulldogs tied the second for the last time on the other end. With the shot clock winding down, Harris drained his three-point attempt for his second make of the night, putting KSU up 56-53. After LA Tech scored to close within one, Lue put the Owls back up three. KSU would not allow another point to hold on for the win, including withstanding a final-second potential game-tying three-pointer form the Bulldogs.
POSTGAME QUOTES – HEAD COACH ANTOINE PETTWAY
"It was great to see our defense make stands the whole game, and that's what I'm most proud of. They held us to 58 points, that's one of the lowest point totals we've had since I've been here, so the game favored their style of play. But the guys never looked back, they kept defending and guarding and getting stops. I'm extremely happy we were able to come away with a win against a very good team, it's a battle every time we play them. To beat them in front of a great crowd like we had today, that was big."
NOTES
- Johnson led the Owls with 15 points, while Sherman also finished in double-figures with 10.
- Harris and Lue were next in scoring with eight points each.
- KSU moves to 3-1 all-time against the Bulldogs, and split the season series.
NEXT TIME OUT: The Owls continue the homestand when they host first-place Liberty on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. in VyStar Arena. It's a Gold Rush for the Owls, with all fans encouraged to wear gold while the first 500 fans will receive a free KSU Gold Rush T-shirt.
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.
