Follow KSU Men's Basketball - X | Instagram
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Freshman
Amir Taylor and junior
Frankquon Sherman combined for 31 second-half points as Kennesaw State bounced back from a sluggish first-half to outscore Sam Houston by 12 after halftime and upset the second-seeded Bearkats 79-73 in the Conference USA Men's Basketball Championship semifinal. The sixth-seeded Owls advanced to their first-ever appearance in the CUSA tournament championship in just their second-year in the league, and it's the second appearance in a conference tournament championship in school history, winning the 2023 Atlantic Sun title game. They will face fourth-seeded Louisiana Tech on Saturday at 8:30 pm (ET) with the winner receiving the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
KSU also claimed the second-ever 20-win season in school history, moving to 20-13 overall after snapping a three-game losing streak to Sam Houston, which included dropping both regular season meetings.
OWL OF THE GAME: For the second straight game the Owls were led by a freshman in scoring, as Taylor finished with a career-high 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting. In the second half, he scored 17 points and grabbed all six of his rebounds. He had five-straight points in the final 90 seconds with a huge three to put KSU up seven.
STAT OF THE GAME: The Owls held Sam Houston to just 36.4% from the floor in the second half and outrebounded them 23-16. That led to a 12-4 edge on second chance points.
THE FIRST HALF: After
Trey Simpson opened the game with a short floater, Sam Houston scored the next six points and wouldn't trail again in the half.
RJ Johnson drained a three-pointer to make it a 15-12 game with 14 minutes left on the clock. The Owls would not hit another field goal for the next four minutes, with just two points at the free throw line, and the Bearkats took advantage with an 11-2 run for its largest lead of the half, 26-14. Johnson and
Amir Taylor then sparked a 14-4 run, bringing KSU within two at 30-28. That was countered by a 7-1 spurt from the Bearkats to go back up 37-29, and a Johnson layup at the halftime buzzer would make it a 37-31 contest going into the locker room.
THE SECOND HALF: It took just four minutes for the Owls to tie the game, reeling off seven unanswered to knot the game at 44-44 on a
Trey Simpson three. After Sam Houston took the lead back, Sherman responded with back-to-back baskets for a 48-46 lead, and the Owls never trailed again. The Bearkats did tie the game twice more, the last on a 7-0 run to make it a 67-67 contest with just under five minutes to play. Simpson again answered the call, draining a three from the deep corner, while
Jaden Harris made three straight free throws for a six-point edge, and KSU led by at least four the rest of the way to seal the win.
POSTGAME QUOTES – HEAD COACH ANTOINE PETTWAY
"Super blessed to be the head coach of Kennesaw State. I can't say that enough, man. We wouldn't be anything without God. Super blessed to coach these young men. They just answer every challenge. At halftime, we knew we didn't come out in the first half. We played probably as bad as we played in a long time in that first half. And so, I talked to them, but then I told them to stand there and talk amongst themselves. And, they did it, man. We saw a different team. I just wanted to see my team that last 20 minutes, and however the chips fall, I was good with it. They did more than that. They came out, won the rebounding battle in the second half, played the right way and had courage. I talk to them all the time about not being afraid to fail in this program. That's something we believe in, and that's why
Trey Simpson's able to take those kind of shots. That's why
Amir Taylor came out and went 3-3 from the 3-point line. That's why Frankquon [Sherman] got every rebound, and he just tried his hardest. These guys are not afraid to fail, and they want to win. They play to win. Great job today being a quality, quality team."
NOTES
- KSU is now 3-1 all-time in Conference USA tournament action.
- Also in double-figures for the Owls on Friday was Johnson with 20 points, while Sherman recorded 17 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
- KSU shot 48% (25-52) for the game and was 9-22 (41%) from three-point range.
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.
