It was a hotly contested game through the first 30 minutes, but KSU’s men’s basketball team ran out of steam down the stretch as they were outlasted by the USC Upstate Spartans, falling 65-48 in Spartanburg, S.C. on Friday night.
Sophomore center Willy Kouassi kept his hot streak going as he recorded a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, leading KSU in both categories. Kouassi’s effort wasn’t enough to lift the Owls to a season sweep of the Spartans as the team shot 30 percent from the field for the game.
“We rebounded well offensively and got to the stripe, but we just missed too many free throws and layups and you have to convert those to be successful on the road,” KSU’s interim head coach Jimmy Lallathin said.
The first half was close throughout as both teams struggled to put the ball in the hoop. KSU and Upstate both shot under 40 percent in the first half and went a combined 0-17 from three-point territory. Neither team led by more than two possessions in the first half and changed the lead 10 times.
The Spartans (11-10, 5-4 A-Sun) biggest lead of the first half came at the 18:08 mark after a Glenn Ricardo tip-in made the game 6-2, Upstate. The Owls then tied things up after a Kouassi dunk off of a fast break followed by a pair of Yonel Brown free throws.
The Owls gained their first lead of the game at 12:56 after Nate Rucker earned three points the old-fashioned way which put KSU up by one at 11-10. The teams would trade baskets until the half with neither side gaining a lead greater than three. Nate Rucker drew a foul with seven seconds left in the first half and would convert both, giving the Owls a two point advantage heading into the locker room.
The second half began with more of the same after a Kouassi free throw extended the Owls’ lead to three, only to see the Spartans tie it up on the next possession with a three-pointer from Torrey Craig. Craig was a difference maker for the Spartans, finishing with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
KSU would see its final lead of the game after a Bernard Morena jumper gave the Owls a one point advantage of 39-38 at the 10:24 mark. The Owls would then go cold inside of 10 minutes. Upstate would go on a 10-2 run in the next two and a half minutes to give the Spartans the first three possession lead of the game for either team.
Upstate grabbed a double-digit lead with five and half to go after a pair of Jodd Maxey free-throws made it 52-41. Riccardo Glenn, not to be outdone by his teammate Craig, recorded a double-double of his own against the Owls as he netted 19 points while grabbing 12 boards. KSU struggled to shoot a dismal 23 percent from the field in the second half while going 1-7 from three-point range and 7-12 from the charity stripe. The Owls ended the game making only 62 percent of their free throws and 1-14 three’s.
KSU came down with 42 rebounds and scored 26 points in the paint. However, the Spartans were able to edge the Owls in both categories by grabbing 43 rebounds and scoring 28 points in the paint. Myles Hamilton was the team’s second leading scorer in the game with 10. KSU’s season leading scorers Delbert Love and Orlando Coleman combined for just seven points. Coleman had two while Love finished with five. Love now needs eight more points until he reaches 1,000 career points. Kouassi’s double-double was the first of his career and it was his second straight game with 15 points.
“Willy Kouassi gave us a great effort tonight,” Lallathin said. “He’s continuing to become what we expected and just getting better and better every game.”
The loss dropped KSU to 1-9 in the conference and 4-19 overall. The Owls will take on East Tennessee State on Sunday in Johnson City, Tenn. at 2 p.m.
